2015 Simms/Mann Think Tank

Education
Institute
2015

On November 3, 2015, the Simms/Mann Institute convened a group of 500 stakeholders from fields including education, business, philanthropy and medicine who directly impact policy and practice in early child development for its annual Think Tank. The Think Tank served as a platform to showcase cutting-edge neuroscience research related to children ages 0-3.

The eight international speakers armed the audience with the latest and greatest research in early child development. The speakers covered topics ranging from the importance of early childhood investments, to attachment, to temperament and executive functions, for example.

The Think Tank showcased the vital role the California Community Colleges and The California State University play in training our state’s early care and education workforce. Thirteen faculty from California Community Colleges and The California State University were awarded Simms/Mann Institute Faculty Fellowship, and will spend the year designing and implementing projects to translate and disseminate research presented at the Think Tank. Please click here to learn about past Simms/Mann Institute Faculty Fellow’s projects.

The Think Tank also celebrated outstanding contributions to the field of 0-3. Specifically, the Institute presented a $25,000 Simms/Mann Whole Child Award to a leader in the field of medicine who pursues a whole child approach in caring for children and their families. The inaugural award was presented to Dr. Michael Yogman, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and Chairman of the Board at the Boston Children’s Museum.

The Think Tank was intended to inform and inspire the audience. Our hope is that together we can develop innovative solutions in looking at the whole child, families, and communities.

Speaker Topics:

Importance of Early Investment: Art Rolnick

Why Early Matters, Impact of Toxic Stress on Brain Architecture: Dr. Pat Levitt

Attachment and Regulation: Dr. Ruth Feldman

Temperament and Genetics: Dr. Nathan Fox

Dyadic Intervention: Dr. Alicia Lieberman

Executive Functions: Dr. Adele Diamond

Mentalization: Dr. Peter Fonagy

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