APPROACH
As a collaborative initiative, NCPI draws on the full breadth and depth of intellectual and institutional resources at five leading partner organizations: Fundação Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal (FMCSV), the Medical School at the University of São Paulo, INSPER, the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (HCDC), and the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard University.
The goals of the NCPI are to: build a unified science of child development in order to explain the early roots of lifelong health, learning, and behavior in Brazil; translate and communicate science effectively to inform the public discourse around issues that affect children and families; and prepare leaders to leverage the science of healthy development in the design and implementation of innovative policies and programs that reduce preventable disparities and promote well-being for all Brazilian children.
ACTION PLAN
To achieve its objective of building a Brazilian scientific community that is addressing early childhood, NCPI is convening an interdisciplinary group of distinguished Brazilian scholars of child health and development that will: identify the strengths and gaps in the existing body of knowledge; build a scientific consensus around topics that have the potential to be applied in policy and practice; and promote a national research agenda to address underexplored areas.
In order to translate the science for non-scientific audiences, a team of Brazilian researchers is engaged in a large-scale research project to develop a deep understanding of the cultural models that shape how Brazilians think about child development and to use this understanding to develop and test effective ways to communicate the science of child development to expand support for more effective policies and programs in Brazil. NCPI is fortunate to draw on the expertise of the Frameworks Institute, an independent nonprofit communications research organization and long-time strategic partner of the Center on the Developing Child.
As a means of shaping public discourse, the translated science forms the basis of a wide range of publications and educational media that give Brazilian policymakers, practitioners, and the general public multiple ways to engage with and understand the science of early childhood development. This dissemination strategy leverages multiple formats and media, including an annual international symposium, a resource-rich web site, working papers, policy briefs, videos, and direct press outreach.
Finally, to build leadership capacity and catalyze innovative policies and programs, NCPI has developed the Executive Leadership Program in Early Childhood Development, which engages Brazilian leaders in a dialogue on the science of early childhood development and how effective public leaders can apply this science to some of Brazil's most complex social problems. The program provides public leaders with the knowledge base and tools to design and implement more effective, science-based public policies and programs.
The pathway to strong communities, economic prosperity, and a just society begins with the well-being of all children. Advances in neuroscience, genetics, and child development research provide substantial evidence and common ground on which effective early childhood interventions can be designed and implemented.
Núcleo Ciência Pela Infância (NCPI) seeks to leverage this scientific knowledge to inform new strategies that will improve the well-being and life outcomes for vulnerable children and support sustainable social and economic development in Brazil.
SEEKING:
NCPI is a collaborative initiative, committed to expanding its reach and impact through building and sustaining relationships with an array of stakeholders and partnerships. Collaborating organizations and partners are welcome to contribute to NCPI's objectives through any number of approaches, including but not limited to intellectual dialogue and support, implementing partners, media support, and financial resources. Similarly, NCPI welcomes the opportunity to learn from the experiences of others both within and outside Brazil, and hopes that through the exchange of knowledge and experience, the initiative can contribute to the advancement of child health and development in the Latin American region and globally.
