Lecture, 6:00 p.m. | VIA LIVESTREAM

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Helping all children unlock a lifetime of learning

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 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 meaningful policy change, especially for our most under-resourced children, be advanced? Why is now a ripe moment for bold action? Join us for 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 leading news programs 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, and The Jefferson Award for Public Service. Drawing on his 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.

Keynote followed by a conversation moderated by

TED LEMPERT is president of Children Now, a research and policy organization focused on transforming children’s advocacy. Lempert previously served four terms in the California State Assembly.

With panelists

LISA CHAMBERLAIN, MD, MPH, is a professor of pediatrics at the Stanford School of Medicine, and founder of the Office for Child Health Equity in Stanford’s Department of Pediatrics. As a Harman Faculty Scholar she studies “Kinder Ready Clinics," bridging the early childhood education and pediatric sectors to reduce educational inequity.

and KITTY LOPEZ is Executive Director of First 5 San Mateo County; Board President, First 5 State Association. Lopez previously served as leading nonprofit executive supporting children and families in San Mateo County.