The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading and the Bezos Family Foundation are launching Science Matters! for local funders interested in deepening their knowledge and understanding of the science of brain development and early learning. This quarterly webinar series will promote and lift up some of the most essential and relevant insights of the science surrounding young children and what it takes for them to develop the skills and capacities to enter school engaged in learning and to achieve early school success.
Moderated by Ellen Galinsky, chief science officer with the Bezos Family Foundation, these webinars will bring top scientists and leaders in the field to share their insights and research across a variety of topics that impact and promote early learning, with a strong focus around supporting parent success.
There’ve been numerous efforts to improve children’s early school success, but few have achieved breakthrough results. That will change when we begin with the science of early learning and development as a foundation and turn this knowledge into action.”
– Ellen Galinsky, chief science officer, Bezos Family Foundation
Writes Chief Program Officer Yolie Flores: “In an effort to deepen the learning and inspire action, over time, we will encourage local funders to “road test” a new way of participating in these webinars. We envision local funders bringing together 2–3 members of their local coalition to co-view the presentation, engage the webinar speakers in Q & A and, following the webinar, engage in a discussion with their teams to identify at least one idea they would be willing to explore and test. While this is our aspiration, we continue to encourage all funders to register for Science Matters! and to develop and share their own strategies for continuing the conversation, expanding the circle and sharing the knowledge.”
Said Galinsky: “There’ve been numerous efforts to improve children’s early school success, but few have achieved breakthrough results. That will change when we begin with the science of early learning and development as a foundation and turn this knowledge into action.”
The Science Matters! webinar series will promote capacity building, network building and road testing of community-built models around early learning and parent success. Funders and their local teams will:
- Gain new knowledge and insights about the science of brain development and early learning;
- Increase their level of urgency to promote and support early brain development in ways that take the research to action; and
- Prepare to act, lead and invest in a suite of tools, programs and strategies to ensure that parents are equipped with the knowledge, confidence and supports to be successful in their essential roles as brain builders.
The goal of the Campaign is clear: “By 2020, a dozen states or more will increase by at least 100 percent the number of children from low-income families reading proficiently at the end of third grade.”
“The Campaign is building a network of national and local civic leaders, policymakers, advocates, community organizations, and everyday people to assure:
- “Quality teaching for every child in every setting, every day—including in the home, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school.”
- “Community-driven efforts to address major barriers to third grade reading proficiency—school readiness, chronic absence, and summer learning loss.”
- “A seamless, outcomes-accountable system of care, services, and family supports for children, from birth through third grade.”
In addition, “The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading and the 150+ communities working with the Campaign are dedicated to narrowing the gap between children from low-income families and their more affluent peers. This video shows why that gap occurs and how we can close it.”
