international contacts

As I reviewed the site Center on the Developing child at Harvard University (http://developingchild.harvard.edu/activities/global_initiative/global_children_s_initiative__activities/) I found many interesting facts. With help from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Fundación Educational Oportunidad, the school is able to focus on language and literacy with children from low-income families in Chile. The university has helped over 3,800 at risk children from ages 4- 6. According to the centers objective the focus in around three main strategies:

• 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;

• 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

• 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 Global Children’s Initiative includes activities in three domains: early childhood development; mental health; and children in crisis and conflict situations. (www.thedevelopingchild.hardvard.edu).

Other programs that are found through this site include an internship Opportunity in the Brazil Early Childhood Development Initiative. This program allows a qualified applicant to participate in a leadership programs designed to implement the new Brazil Initiative.

Applying science in the early childhood field in Brazil is the programs next project. The Center will use the science of child health and development to build a stronger policy that will benefit young children and their families in Brazil.

We all understand the benefits of children being enrolled in an early childhood program. The benefits are the same in countries out side the US. These benefits include: Higher intelligence scores, Higher and timelier school enrollment, and less grade repetition and lower dropout rates. Other benefits are improved nutrition and health status, improved social and emotional behavior, and improved parent-child relationship. These changes will help to improve education and health to children around the world.