Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 2

From the Harvard website, I was able to have a clear understanding that the center was founded in 2006 with the notion that the extent to which a society expands opportunities early in life for all children to achieve their full potential and engage in responsible and productive citizenship is a reflection of the vitality and sustainability of such society.  Being able to do many things at the same time, filter distractions, and switch gears is likened to an air traffic control system at a busy airport while handling the arrivals and departures of many planes on multiple runways (Building the Brain).  All these are done in the brain with a mechanism called executive function helping us to focus on series of information at the same time (Harvard, Global).  A section on the website called IN BRIEF talks briefly on various issues of cencern to children development, their families and the society.  One of the articles, The Foundations of Lifelong Health, says a healthy child development is the foundation of a vital and productive society with a prosperous and sustainable future (Harvard, In Brief, The Foundations). 

 

According to one of the In Brief articles, Early Childhood Program Effectiveness, in order to ensure that children have a solid foundatio for a productive future that will positivily impact the society, there is need to create and implement effective early childhoold programs and policies that will include all the children (Harvard, In Brief, Early Childhood).  On the policy implications, the article stated that to achieve program success and equal participation of all children, development  and retention of a skilled early childhood workforce that is adequately compensated is paramount.  This is important because it will affect the quality of implementation which is key.  The article also says that a multi-strategy approach will ensure healthy future for all children as no single program can meet the diverse developmental needs of all children (Harvard, In Brief, Early Childhood).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

References

Building the Brain’s “Air Traffic Control” System: How Early Experiences Shape the Development of Executive Function

  http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/resources/reports_and_working_papers/working_papers/wp11/

Harvard University.  “Global Children’s Initiative” website http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative/

Harvard University.  “In Brief, Early Childhood Program effectiveness” website

www.developingchild.harvard.edu

Harvard University.  “In Brief, The Foundations of Lifelong Health” website http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative/