Deans’ Summer Research Fellowship (DSRF) Story: Ellie Armstrong
Author: Ellie Armstrong
What was your major research question for the DSRF project and where do you hope this project will go?
How do early childcare center directors and educators foster a sense of belonging among children and families who are Latin American immigrants in Buenos Aires? Over the course of two weeks in Argentina, I interviewed eight staff members from the non-profit Pilares at two different ECE centers and engaged in roughly ten hours of observations. I am now furthering my exploration of the qualitative data from the interviews and engaging in a visual analysis of center photos as part of my honors thesis in International Comparative Studies.
What challenges did you encounter during your research and how did you work through these difficulties?
I encountered challenges in cultural differences in interviewee compensation, having to work hard to explain in Spanish why our IRB mandates that I distribute payment for interviewees' time. I also felt overwhelmed at points by the amount of work I would be doing in such a short amount of time, as the two weeks flew by.
What sparked your interest in this field?
My experiences working with children and youth at summer camps, daycare centers, preschool classrooms, and refugee resettlement agencies has inspired me to understand how political, socioeconomic, and international actors shape early childhood development and outcomes.
Curious about DSRF?
This project was made possible through the Deans’ Summer Research Fellowship (DSRF)—a unique opportunity for rising juniors and seniors in the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences to pursue funded summer research full-time!
Effective this 2025-2026 Academic year, we are rebranding DSRF to be the Trinity Summer Undergraduate Mentored Research Fellowship (T-SUMR)! If you're pursuing graduation with distinction and are passionate about research, consider applying to T-SUMR in December of your Sophomore or Junior year.
