UCI Wants You! To Lead!

We are often asked “OK, I get it. What do you want me to do?” That’s a very difficult question to answer but let me take a stab at it. We want you to lead.

The Urban Child Institute has been studying and communicating the importance of early childhood brain development aggressively since 2004. In that time we have experimented with many different strategies in hopes of seeing a change in our community. Some efforts have worked better than others and a few have gone over like a lead balloon. But we keep on trying because we believe the message has critical importance to the well-being of children and the long-term health and success of our community.

Why is It So Important?

The science of early brain development is definitive and has been for quite some time. The trajectory of brain development is a long one. Even so, it is unquestionably most rapid in the first years of life, particularly the first 3-5 years. Some of the most dramatic changes in the brain’s architecture take place during this time.

One example of this is hearing and language development. The structure for these functions generally develop in the first year of life. If these structures don’t properly develop due to an inner ear problem, for example, the related brain structures don’t properly form, creating problems. As hearing functions fail to develop, language skills are unable to build on this structure, delaying and impacting language. When language fails to develop properly, reading skills are impacted, and so on.

What You Can Do

Success begets success. Good, healthy development leads to more good, healthy development. Our Touch, Talk, Read, Play program is an excellent start for learning how simple actions can yield huge results in a child’s development. So what can you do with this information? How can you positively impact early childhood development in our community? The short answer is: Be a leader!

Now for the longer answer. The list that follows is far from all-inclusive. Actually, it is barely scratching the surface. But it is a starting point for anyone who wants to be a part of the solution.

• Develop a Vision For The Community -  How do you see your community in the future? How do today’s children play a role in that vision? If things were to improve for early childhood development, how would that change affect Memphis over time?
• Learn to Articulate That Vision - Create your own personal vision statement. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. empowered a movement with his vision of "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." That’s a powerful vision statement. What’s yours?
• Take Responsibility for Your Community - Make a decision that you’re going to be a leader and an advocate for the youngest in our community. Don’t wait for others to stand up. You have unique networks, skills and abilities that can be mobilized to benefit children. Remind everyone that children don’t vote so we are responsible for making good choices on their behalf.
• Set Goals - Decide how you can impact early childhood development directly and set goals for how you will do this. It may be volunteering with a direct service provider or supporting organizations financially. It could also be serving on a board, participating in a fundraiser or seeking to influence policy-makers. But it can also be as simple as reading to a pre-k or Early Head Start class. Every action makes a difference.
• Recruit Others and Teach Them to be Leaders - Duplicate yourself several times over. These issues are tough and will require a concerted effort. Find others to get involved and inspire them to be leaders as well. No one person can do it all but if everyone does a little, it adds up over time. And many hands make light work. (Tweet this!)

You Can Make a Difference

In 1758, Benjamin Franklin paraphrased the proverbial rhyme “For Want of a Nail.”
For want of a nail the shoe was lost,
for want of a shoe the horse was lost;
and for want of a horse the rider was lost;
being overtaken and slain by the enemy,
all for want of care about a horse-shoe nail.

In the same way that, according to Mr. Franklin, “A little neglect can cause great mischief,” a little attention early in life can prevent it. And since research shows that many of the problems that plague our community have their roots in early childhood, many of them can be prevented.

But don’t believe that just because the answer is simple that it is easy. It’s not. Not by a long shot. There is no “silver bullet” and no one person can effect the kind of change we need. The answer is in the collaborative efforts of all of us. Small, sustained efforts from many people will be required to make a meaningful difference. If we all take steps to make simple changes in how we support our children, the total effect will change our community.