Week # 5 Blog Assignment: Global
Children’s Initiative- New Insights on Early Childhood Systems
Great things are happening on the
Global scene as we gain insights from the Center on the Developing Child from
Harvard University on the Early Childhood Systems. This Center which was
founded in 2006 had deeply wedged in its foundation the belief that “the
vitality and sustainability of any society depend[ed] on the extent to which it
expand[ed] opportunities early in life for all children to achieve their full
potential and engage in responsible and productive citizenship” http://developingchild.harvard.edu/activities/global_initiative/global_children_s_initiative__activities/#
Please click on the link to enjoy your tour on the Global Children’s Initiative
Activities from Harvard University.
Therefore, with this foreknowledge, Harvard University is now
working collaboratively and assiduously with every available resource and
affiliates to not only produce, translate and apply scientific knowledge to improve
the well being of children in the United States, but also to enhance the lives
of children throughout the entire world.
Three of the
most important insights that I have garnered about the “Global Children’s
Initiative” are that the Initiative is focused on three strategic objectives
which are outlined as follows:
1 .To reframe
public discourse about the early childhood period by
educating high-level decision makers about the common underlying science of
learning, behavior, and health;
2 .To
support innovative, multidisciplinary research and demonstration projects in
selected countries or regions to expand global understanding of how healthy
development happens, how it can be derailed, and how to get it back on track;
and
3. To build
leadership capacity in child development research and policy among
individuals and institutions in low- and middle-income countries in order to
increase the number and influence of diverse perspectives that are contributing
to the global movement on behalf of young children.
The
second insight that I have gained is that in the area of early childhood
development the center hopes to successfully adapt the work conducted in the
United States to include a wider selection of audiences that would be calculated
to serve the purpose of invigorating and “re framing the global dialogue around
investments in the earliest years.”
The
third insight focuses on the heart of the Center’s Mission in this Initiative
and that is to provide an array of educational and training activities which
will focus on building a “sustainable infrastructure to support the productive engagement
of Harvard students and faculty in a diversity of global settings.”
The
additional information about issues of equity and excellence that I have
acquired from the Center on the Developing Child – Harvard University is the work
that they are doing in Brazil. At this point I will include the website for
your perusal on the work being done in collaboration with Brazil to improve
Early Childhood Systems. http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/activities/global_initiative/applying_the_science_of_early_childhood_in_brazi/
Please
click on the link above and enjoy the tour.
References
Wow it sounds like the Children's Initiative at Harvard University is doing great things to change the early childhood education field for the sake of the children around the world. By continuing their work, Harvard University is going to make great strides in the lives of children. With expanding their program into other countries, those countries are able to learn about healthy development for their children and the lives of children with be forever changed. Great post.
ReplyDeleteIt is wonderful that the Children's Initiative at Harvard University understands the importance of early learning on a child's lifelong developments. Being an advocate for creating leadership and how information about children is being displayed publicly in reference to early learning can only help us as educators to ensure the message about education is being sent to all families. I look forward to learning more about this initiative in your future posts!
ReplyDeleteColleagues:
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting my blog. As we continue to learn more about healthy development and early learning, I am sure we, as educators, will be like a tower of strength for families and their children as their knowledge expands.
Sharon,
ReplyDeleteI also chose the Center on the Developing Child Global Children’s Initiative to me it stressed the importance that in times of crises around the world that attention must not only be on immediate survival but the long-term effect of the crisis on the children. The Center is always a valuable resource that I use quite often. Helping to build an effective dialogue and understanding globally is a wonderful undertaking. Thanks for sharing your insights.