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Mcgovern, Gina

Associate Professor

FACULTY

Biography

I study the effective practices of adults who work with youth, especially those that support the development of youth’s social-emotional skills and ethnic-racial identity. I am interested in how adult leaders attend to their own social-emotional and identity development, especially as they and the youth they work with confront systemic inequities due to racism and xenophobia. My research is applied and has led to training curriculum that facilitates the implementation of effective practices in youth-serving organizations. My goal is to improve the quality of experiences that youth have in programs by supporting adults to develop skills, attitudes, and practices that enhance their work.

I have been fortunate to have a diverse career trajectory with experience as an out-of-school time program manager, teacher, instructional coach, technical assistance provider, youth development trainer, measure developer, and researcher. Across these experiences, I have had a window into how adults and youth learn, and have been focused on supporting adults that work with young people to do that work effectively.

More about Gina Mcgovern

McGovern, G., Jones*, M., & Watson, C., Jr. (2025, April). Navigating to justice: How youth programs support the positive development of Black Youth. New York State Youth Justice Institute. https://www.albany.edu/yji

Rivas-Drake, D., Channey, J., McGovern, G., & Pinetta, B. J. (2024). Preliminary development of the Racial Equity-oriented Social-Emotional Learning Practices measure. AERA Open, 10. https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584241246717

McGovern, G., Jones*, M., & Watson, C., Jr. (2024, April). Protective and promotive functions of youth programs for the positive development of Black youth. Society for Research on Adolescence Annual Meeting. Chicago, IL. https://www.s-r-a.org/2024-annual-meeting-in-chicago-portal  

McGovern, G., Pinetta, B. J., Montoro, J. M., Channey, J., Rosario-Ramos, E., & Rivas-Drake, D. (2023). Stretching towards social justice: A case study of transformative social and emotional learning (SEL). Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy, 2, 100018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sel.2023.100018

Watson, C., Jr., McGovern, G. (2023, November). Radical L.O.V.E. Institute: Hip-hop inspired, healing-centered SEL with youth and adults. Conference Pre-session, Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) SEL Exchange, Atlanta, GA. 

McGovern, G. (2023, April). What It Takes: A Call to Action for Racial Equity-Oriented Social and Emotional Learning. Keynote Address, University of Northern Iowa Social and Emotional Learning Conference, Cedar Falls, IA. https://coe.uni.edu/2023-social-emotional-and-learning-conference

McGovern, G. (2021). How Outward Bound co-instructor relationships create a context for emotional support during stressful course situations. Journal of Community Psychology. doi:10.1002/jcop.22570

White, A., DeMand A., McGovern, G., & Akiva, T. (2020). Staff stress in out-of-school learning programs. Journal of Youth Development, 15(1), 48-69. doi:10.5195/jyd.2020.817

McGovern, G., Raffaelli, M., Moreno-Garcia, C., & Larson, R. (2020). Leaders’ cultural responsiveness in a rural program serving Latinx youth. Journal of Adolescent Research, 35(3), 368-394. doi:10.1177/0743558419873893

2019 Ph.D., Human Development and Family Studies Minor, College Teaching, College of Education, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

2008 Master of Professional Studies, Middle School Mathematics, George Washington University

2004 M.S., Education Policy, University of Pennsylvania

2002 B.A., Sociology, Mary Washington College

My primary research interests are 1) the effective practices of adults who work with youth of color, especially those that support the development of youth’s social-emotional skills and ethnic-racial identity, and 2) the stress these adults experience as they engage in the emotional labor of supporting youth development. I am interested in how these adults attend to their own social emotional learning and identity development as they and the youth they work with confront systemic inequities due to racism and xenophobia. My goal is to improve the quality of experiences for youth of color by supporting adults to develop skills, attitudes, and practices that enhance their work.
  • Michigan Social and Emotional Learning Alliance (Board Member since 2025)
  • Society for Research on Adolescence
  • Society for Community Research and Action - Community Psychology, Division 47 of the American Psychological Association
  • American Educational Research Association, Special Interest Group: Out-of-School Time

Courses Taught

  • HDF 306 - Adolescent Development
  • HDF 319 - Applied HDFS: Developing Programs for Children and Families
  • HDF 100/HDF 100WI - Lifespan Development