Global work

I explored the website in the area of Saving Brains, partly because I am currently working on my EC Mental Health Credential and so it appealed to me.  I found it fascinating that they are now building on the research done on Adverse Childhood Expeirences.  This project is “A partnership led by Grand Challenges Canada, Saving Brains seeks to improve outcomes for children living in poverty through interventions that nurture and protect early brain development in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life.”  The video quotes statistics that showed 1/3 of the world’s children under age 5 are living in toxic stressful environments.  The research quoted talked about how giving children, who had experienced toxic stress, the right kind of nutrition and stimulation (play, skin to skin, etc.) made dramatic differences and even helped children some children totally recover from stunting.  I loved the short video that explained the research, it was easy to follow and looked at both the factors that inhibit strong brain growth and the strategies that can be used to support early brain development.

The website also had information and resources on toxic stress and brain development translated in Portuguese (Brazil) and Spanish (Mexico); and filmed using localized examples to bring the research and resources to other countries.  The goals were to raise awareness in these countries and offer parents and caregivers strategies to give all babies the best start possible as it much less expensive to invest in young children so they can grow and be better able to cope and flourish in spite of toxic stress in the environment.

            “In order to achieve significant change for children facing adversity, the field needs innovative leadership. Individuals, organizations, and systems need to actively use science to think outside the box and drive new ideas. (Harvard Developing Child, 2015)” This quote was found in the collective leadership section on the website. We need to continue to push policy makers to understand current science on how brains are built and the crucial period of the first 1000 days.  Sometimes that means taking risks, “Individuals, organizations, and systems utilize their knowledge of science to explore new, yet-to-be-tested ideas aimed at improving long-term outcomes for children facing adversity and their caregivers. (Harvard Developing Child, 2015)”

Reference:

Harvard Developing Child, (2015) http://developingchild.harvard.edu/about/what-we-do/global-work/saving-brains/

Harvard Developing Child, (2015) http://developingchild.harvard.edu/collective-change/key-concepts/distributed-leadership/