Kuder faculty member Dr. Diandra Prescod is featured in an article on the University of Connecticut’s NEAG School of Education website for her role in developing Kuder’s Hope Central®, an online resource and support system designed to help companies, communities, and workforce development organizations support furloughed and unemployed individuals.
Dr. Prescod, an associate professor and
program coordinator of counselor education and counseling psychology at UCONN, worked closely with fellow members of the Kuder faculty and development team to create Hope Central as a holistic platform to help workers cope with unemployment and regain stability, both personally and professionally. Hope Central addresses individuals’ needs across five critical areas: social support, personal growth, career planning, professional development, and crisis resources.
“People need hope, and they need to know what their options are,” said Dr. Prescod. “We tend to feel more comfortable and more at ease when we feel a little bit more organized, when we can make sense of things and have some sort of a plan, and that’s what Hope Central does.”
The article highlights a video of Dr. Prescod produced for Hope Central, “You Are Not What You Do,” which serves as a reminder that a career is not representative of one’s entire identity. “We’re these amazing, whole individuals who are so much more than our work,” she said.
Dr. Prescod explained that as she develops new content for Hope Central, she is mindful to be as inclusive as possible. “Whether you’re a person of color who’s been disproportionately affected, someone who thought they’d be retiring soon and has to rethink that, or someone feeling really alone in a situation where domestic violence is present, I want all of those individuals to feel represented … I want people to feel heard,” she said.
Also quoted in the article is Kuder Chairman and CEO Phil Harrington, who shared his appreciation for Dr. Prescod’s ongoing contributions to Hope Central. “Dr. Prescod ensures that Kuder takes an inclusive approach in order to serve a much larger population of individuals than ever before, and in a meaningful and holistic way,” he said.
For more information on Hope Central, contact hopecentral@kuder.com.
