The Center’s first formal course was first launched during the spring 2008 semester. It is currently co-listed in the School of Public Health and Graduate School of Education. It is designed for and open to master's and doctoral level students attending all schools across Harvard University who are interested in issues related to the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of science-based policies related to the education and health of young children.
This course will conduct a critical examination of the relation between the science of early childhood development and the formulation of social policies focused on young children and their families. Drawing on research from the biological, behavioral, and social sciences, students will learn about how interactions among early life experiences and genetics shape brain architecture and influence the maturation of biological systems that affect learning, behavior, and both physical and mental health, well into the adult years. This knowledge base will be used as a vehicle for greater understanding of how adversity related to poverty, maltreatment, and discrimination "gets under the skin" and leads to disparities in both health and educational outcomes. The course will then focus on how a greater understanding of the causal mechanisms that explain disparities in educational achievement, economic productivity, and physical and mental well-being can be used to inform more effective policies for young children.
The course syllabus is organized around two major topic areas. The first is an overview of the science of early childhood development, focused largely on research in neuroscience and developmental psychology. This material is drawn largely from an Institute of Medicine and National Research Council report entitled From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000), supplemented by more recent peer-reviewed studies.
The second topic area focuses on the challenge of translating developmental science into social policy. These sessions will demonstrate how the effective communication of scientific knowledge can lead to policies and practices that enhance life outcomes for vulnerable, young children. The content of this section is drawn largely on the work of the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child and the National Forum on Early Childhood Program Evaluation and their partnership with The FrameWorks Institute. Readings draw on evaluation research, journalism, and policy briefs.
Course Listing for Spring 2010 >>
