Since 1925, the Institute of Child Development (ICD) has conducted research, training, and outreach that has guided policymakers, educators, practitioners, and parents across Minnesota and the nation as they cultivate the next generation of citizens.

ICD has consistently ranked as the #1 developmental psychology program in the nation by U.S. News and World Report and is internationally recognized for the quality of its faculty and their portfolios of research.

In addition to its academic programs, ICD is also home to the Child Development Laboratory School (CDLS) and the Center for Early Education and Development (CEED). The CDLS offers a full-day, year-round early childhood education program for students, staff, and faculty affiliated with the University of Minnesota (U of M) and a part-day preschool program that is available to all families throughout the Twin Cities. It also provides training for ICD’s early childhood education students and serves as a living laboratory for curriculum development in collaboration with ICD faculty members.

CEED, which was founded in 1975, acts as ICD's community outreach arm. CEED provides professional development and training to early education professionals, so they can achieve the best outcomes for the children they serve in their own communities.

Historical highlights

• Our instructional program in developmental psychology dates from 1925-1926. The first undergraduate and graduate courses were offered by John E. Anderson and Florence L. Goodenough.
• We awarded our first PhD degrees in 1928 to Dorothea McCarthy and Esther McGinnis.
• We have the distinction of granting the first-ever PhD in any field of psychology to an African-American female, Dr. Ruth Winifred Howard, in 1934.
• By 2012, more than 425 doctorates had been earned in developmental psychology, with more than two-thirds completed since 1973.

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