Harvard University’s
“Global Children Initiative” website has a wealth of information about early
childhood systems around the globe for us to acquire.
One of the objectives of Global Children Initiative is to build leadership
capacity in child development research and policy in developing countries,
aiming to increase influence of diverse perspectives that are contributing to
the global movement on behalf of young children. For example, the Initiative recently held an executive
leadership course on early childhood development for Brazilian policymakers to
chart a new course with the science of child development. Drawing on the latest research in the
biological, behavioral, and social sciences as well as institutional and
leadership development strategies, the program provided attendees with the
knowledge and tools to design and implement more effective public policies and
social programs.
As I read the report in the website, a few thoughts come into my
mind. First, to be
effective leaders, it is important to translate knowledge into practice in order to close the gap between what we know and what we do. Second, a convergence of science, of
economics, and of social science, is a powerful tool to convince a whole range
of stakeholders—starting from parents to community leaders to policymakers to
heads of state, on the importance of a child’s early years. Last but not least, one Brazilian
leader shared an insightful remark: “If Brazil wants to be more developed,
without inequalities—or less inequalities than we have nowadays—we have to
invest in our children.” Hence,
investing in children is crucial to eliminate or reduce inequalities.
Reference:
Harvard University's "Global Children's Initiative" website: http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative/
I love your comment about the importance of turning knowledge into practice. This is so true! If knowledge is not practiced, then it is useless, and selfish. Why know about something if you are not going to use that knowledge.
ReplyDeleteYour statement about it being important to translate knowledge into practice is great. It truly is not enough to know what to do. Educators need to put the changes into practice. They need combine all of the knowledge that they have had with the experiences that they have with children.
ReplyDeleteI believe it is very important for us to apply what we know about early childhood development, because if all we do is just take in the data and research but do not apply it, then how is it benefiting anyone? Very good points, Wong
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Kelly