Event details
Tuesday, May 24th 2022
05:00 PM—07:15 PM
Location | Memorial Auditorium & Live Stream |
Available to | Faculty / Staff, Alumni / Friends, General Public, Members, Students |
One of the smartest investments in education is simple: pay it forward from the beginning of life. That means taking advantage of the early years when young children’s brains are undergoing explosive growth and forming the architecture necessary to realize their full human potential. How do we help families, educators, caregivers, and communities interpret and apply new understandings of brain maturation and cognitive development? How can an interdisciplinary approach create personalized early childhood learning solutions? How can we advance meaningful policy change, especially for our most under-resourced children? Why is now a ripe moment for bold action? This event was an evening of inspiration and conversation with education visionaries who think deeply about these important questions.
GEOFFREY CANADA founded the Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) Project in 1997 with the mission to end intergenerational poverty in Central Harlem and lead the way for other long-distressed communities to do the same. From early childhood, education, and career programs to community outreach and wellness initiatives, HCZ’s on-the-ground, wrap-around programming opens pathways to mobility and prosperity. The work of Canada and HCZ has been featured on 60 Minutes, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Nightline, National Public Radio and in the documentary Waiting for “Superman.”
For his work advocating for low-income children and families of color, he received the first Heinz Award, the Harold W. McGraw Jr. Prize in Education, The Jefferson Award for Public Service, and the Common Good Award from Bowdoin College. Drawing on his own childhood experiences growing up in the South Bronx, Canada wrote Fist Stick Knife Gun: A Personal History of Violence. Canada holds a BA from Bowdoin College and an MA from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
5:00 – 6:00 p.m. Reception | Memorial Auditorium Patio
6:00 – 7:15 p.m. Lecture and panel discussion | Memorial Auditorium
For additional event information, CLICK HERE.
Image Credit: Harlem Children’s Zone