We are thrilled to share with all of you that Belinda Hammond will be joining the Students Connected Community as our second Academic & Student Support Advisor!! She brings 30+ years of child life experience, is a nationally recognized child life student expert, is a child life professor, and clinical supervisor! Learn more about her below:

Belinda Hammond is current faculty in Eastern Washington University's Children's Studies program, providing academic instruction and advising for students in both their graduate Child Life program and their undergraduate Child Life & Health program, having been a Certified Child Life Specialist since 1999.  With her doctorate in Educational Leadership and a specialization in Social Justice, Belinda has long been an advocate for students and has been involved in the creation of multiple academic and clinical programs, including creating the Child Life Community Practicum offered virtually since 2020. Belinda is the founder of Child Life Connection, which has primarily focused on providing therapeutic play opportunities and services for children in the settings that touch their lives: hospitals, clinics and classrooms. Belinda created the Child Life Connection: Student Forum on Facebook as a way to provide continuing supports for students, a page that has grown to include students from around the globe.  It is an honor to now be able to collaborate with the amazing team at Hearts Connected to support the development of resources, trainings, and supports for students and professionals across the field of Child Life.