Natalie Young, Ed.D.
Assistant Professor, Early Childhood Education

Department

Special and Early Education (SEED)

Education

  • Ed.D., Northern Illinois University, Curriculum & Instruction
  • Ed.S., National Louis University, Administration & Leadership
  • MS.Ed., Northern Illinois University, Early Childhood
  • BS., Northern Illinois University, Early Childhood

Research Interests

Natalie Young, Ed.D, has had a lifelong interest in serving and supporting young children and their families. After graduating from National Louis University with an Educational Specialist Masters Degree, Young completed her doctoral studies at Northern Illinois University with a focus in curriculum and instruction.

Young began her teaching career as a primary grade-level classroom teacher in an underserved community on the outskirts of Chicago. Raised in the same community, Young highlights her elementary classroom experiences as the most influential and rewarding part of her career in education.

Her current research interests focus on social justice and the experiences of African-American students and teachers in the field of education. Understanding minorities experiences with race, racism, prejudices, and microaggressions in schools as well as providing diverse experiences to teacher candidates are the primary focus of her research interests and goals.

  • Social justice and diversity.
  • Minority students and teacher experiences in the field of education.
  • African-American experiences in predominantly White education settings.
  • School climate and culture.
  • Making meaningful home/school connections between young children, their teachers and families.
  • Best practices in Primary classrooms.
  • Supportive technology in early education and primary classrooms.

Courses

  • SEEC 230 Exploring the Early Childhood Education Major
  • SEEC 340 The Language Arts and Social Studies for the Primary Child
  • SEEC 403 Primary Curriculum
  • SEEC 430 Preschool and Kindergarten Curriculum
  • SEEC 485 Student Teaching
  • SEEC 504 Developmentally Appropriate Practice in the Primary Classroom

Recent Publications

Young, N., Conderman, G., & Jung, M. (2019). Preparing pre-service early childhood candidates for diverse classrooms: The open doors program. International Journal of Teacher Education and Professional Development (IJTEPD) 2(2).

Young, N. (2018). Greener grass? The perceptions of “movers” leaving high-minority elementary schools: A comparative case study. (Doctoral Dissertation).

Grants

Young, N. (March, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019). Open Doors. College of Education. Partnership Office. Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL. $2,800.00, Funded.

Young, N. (March 2019). Research, Engagement, and Academic Diversity (READ) Grant. Office of Student Engagement & Experiential Learning, Division of Research and Innovation Partnerships, and the Office of Academic Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL. $5,000.00, Funded.

Professor Name
Contact

815-753-2845
nyoung@niu.edu
Gabel 166G