Harvard University’s “Global Children’s Initiative” website discusses its collaborative with an early childhood movement in Brazil called the Núcleo Ciência Pela Infância (NCPI). This organization's core activities are as follows:
- developing a scientific community that includes an interdisciplinary group of Brazilian scholars who guide synthesis and application of policy in Brazil
- translate knowledge from scientific to social policy, keeping true to the Brazilian social context
- using an executive leadership course for policymakers in order to strengthen the leadership within early childhood development
- co-designing and testing strategies related to early childhood issues in Brazil
- translating the Center's print and media sources to cater to a Brazilian audience
I gained some insight about an area of the science of early childhood that I had not heard of. Shonkoff (2013) writes that one area that we can focus on in order to create better opportunities for children is adults as better parents and better employees. By channeling adults to be the support system that children need, a buffer to protect against the severity of toxic stress, which science says can cause serious and lifelong consequences (Shonkogg, 2013). It was interesting to learn that there are scholars who not only work on the end of the spectrum that deals with the children but also those who deal on the opposite end with adults, all of whom are hoping to achieve the same goal: better lives for all involved.
References
Center on the Developing Child. (2016). Brazil: Núcleo ciência pela infância (ncpi). Retrieved from
Shonkoff, J.P. (2013). Strengthening Adult Capacities to Improve Child Outcomes: A New Strategy for Reducing Intergenerational Poverty. Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity: The Source for News, Ideas and Action, (April 22). Retrieved fromhttp://spotlightonpoverty.org.
Its great to know that countries such as Brazil have an interest in improving early childhood education.
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