When Megan Callahan Sherman, Ph.D., MSW, LCSW began her career at Saint Peter’s University in May 2025, she was asked by her colleagues what a child-first center would do for the community.
“Well,” she recalls answering. “That’s going to be determined by the community.”
Kids in Jersey City face numerous barriers to educational success, including overcrowded classrooms, limited resources, rising rates of mental health challenges and declining literacy levels.
“That’s really the mission of the Center for Child and Human Development,” says Sherman. “To meet with community stakeholders, children, families, educators, hospitals, different social service agencies to really determine where there’s a gap in service.”
“We walk in and say, ‘How can we help?’”
Located on the second floor of the Caulfield School of Education, the Center for Child and Human Development is a campus-based resource center for the children and families of Hudson County. By partnering with local schools, healthcare providers and nonprofit organizations, the Center develops interactive programs, trains future professionals (like the first-ever cohort of the Masters of Social Work program) and expands access to services that promote healthy development, educational success and family well-being, particularly for underserved communities.
The space also serves as a quiet place for neurodivergent members of the Saint Peter’s community to visit and unwind.
Walking into the Center for Child and Human Development is like taking a step back in time to your early school days; the former storage space turned classroom is equipped with tools for kids of all ages. Colorful pictures promoting kindness, empathy and belonging hang on the wall. A bookshelf is stacked with books. In the front of the classroom, 16 Dell laptops lay charging next to a SMART interactive whiteboard.
“Technology access is another big issue, so students can come in here, settle into the space and use our computers and wifi.” says Sherman.
The Center plans to host a formal grand opening in the Fall, but in the interim, Sherman encourages anyone interested in getting involved with the Center to reach out to her directly.
“Students at Saint Peter’s are very intrigued and eager to help,” she says.