Investing In Young Children For Peaceful Societies

With the worst human refugee crisis since World War II as the backdrop, from March 16 through March 18, 2016, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, in partnership with UNICEF and the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Center for Inter-religious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID), held a workshop in Amman, Jordan, to explore topics related to investing in young children for peaceful societies. Over the course of the workshop, researchers, policy makers, program practitioners, funders, youth, and other experts came together to understand the effects of conflict and violence on children, women, and youth across areas of health, education, nutrition, social protection, and other domains. The goal of the workshop was to continue to fill in gaps in knowledge and explore opportunities for discourse through a process of highlighting the science and practice. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

With the worst human refugee crisis since World War II as the backdrop, from March 16 through March 18, 2016, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, in partnership with UNICEF and the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Center for Inter-religious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID), held a workshop in Amman, Jordan, to explore topics related to investing in young children for peaceful societies. Over the course of the workshop, researchers, policy makers, program practitioners, funders, youth, and other experts came together to understand the effects of conflict and violence on children, women, and youth across areas of health, education, nutrition, social protection, and other domains. The goal of the workshop was to continue to fill in gaps in knowledge and explore opportunities for discourse through a process of highlighting the science and practice. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

With the worst human refugee crisis since World War II as the backdrop, from March 16 through March 18, 2016, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, in partnership with UNICEF and the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Center for Inter-religious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID), held a workshop in Amman, Jordan, to explore topics related to investing in young children for peaceful societies. Over the course of the workshop, researchers, policy makers, program practitioners, funders, youth, and other experts came together to understand the effects of conflict and violence on children, women, and youth across areas of health, education, nutrition, social protection, and other domains. The goal of the workshop was to continue to fill in gaps in knowledge and explore opportunities for discourse through a process of highlighting the science and practice. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

Focusing on young children in a global context is an approach to end the cycle of poverty and improve the well-being of nations. Improving well-being necessarily begins with core elements such as health, education, nutrition, and social protection; many efforts to improve child development in the first decade of life focus on areas to meet young children's basic needs. Young children living in low-resourced settings are vulnerable to developmental and educational risk factors, such as stunting and undernutrition, disease, caregiver depression, lack of access to quality preprimary and primary education, disabilities, poverty, and societal and familial violence. While each of these areas is important for children's growth and development, there are potential increased benefits from integrated programs and coordinated policies that address more than one of these areas simultaneously, particularly for children living in low-resourced communities. An integrated and coordinated "all system" approach may be the best way to guarantee that children will have the prerequisites for healthy development. The Forum on Investing in Young Children Globally was established with the goal of integrating knowledge with action in regions around the world to inform evidence-based, strategic investments in young children, birth through age 8. The forum held nine workshops across five continents over 3 years. The goal was to learn from experiences in multiple regions and engage in culturally embedded dialogue. This publication summarizes the key themes from the presentations and discussions of the workshops.

A focus on the developmental progress of children before the age of eight helps to inform their future successes, including their personality, social behavior, and intellectual capacity. However, it is difficult for experts to pinpoint best learning and parenting practices for young children. Early Childhood Development: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications is an innovative reference source for the latest research on the cognitive, socio-emotional, physical, and linguistic development of children in settings such as homes, community-based centers, health facilities, and school. Highlighting a range of topics such as cognitive development, parental involvement, and school readiness, this multi-volume book is designed for educators, healthcare professionals, parents, academicians, and researchers interested in all aspects of early childhood development.

As the educational system continues to evolve, it is essential that educators of today devise innovative and strategic approaches to program development and assessment. The Handbook of Research on Program Development and Assessment Methodologies in K-20 Education is an essential reference source for the latest terminology and concepts related to program development. Featuring extensive coverage on a broad range of topics such as cognitive diagnostic assessments, self-directed learning, and digital education, this publication is ideally designed for educators, students, program designers, and librarians seeking current research on inventive strategies and practices to enhance education in the 21st century.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for 2015-2030 strive for a world that is "just, equitable, and inclusive," in which everyone receives care, education, and opportunities to thrive. Yet many children are living on the margins of society, face multiple disadvantages, and are excluded from full participation in all that life has to offer. To examine the science, economics, and politics of investing in the health, education, nutrition, and social protection of children at the margins, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine held a workshop in Prague, Czech Republic in November 2015. Held in partnership with the Open Society Foundations and the International Step by Step Association, the workshop convened a diverse group of stakeholders from around the world for 2 days of discussion. This report summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.