A Forbes article by Talia Milgrom-Elcott, leader of Beyond100K, highlights the science of optimism and how it can transform lives. Quoting Pamela Cantor, M.D., the article describes the link between our actions and biological resilience, emphasizing a commitment to meaningful steps that unlock human potential.

Pamela Cantor, M.D., explains the biology of learning and its connection to belonging in this video from History Co:Lab as part of the Building Belonging Project, a product of the Jacobs Foundation and New America’s Learning Sciences Exchange (LSX) fellowship.

In a world where uncertainty seems to be the only constant, maintaining a positive outlook is more crucial than ever. A Forbes article by Talia Milgrom-Elcott, leader of Beyond100K, delves into the power of optimism as a solution to 2024's complexities and challenges and shares insights from Pamela Cantor, M.D.

A research synthesis by Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, Na’ilah Suad Nasir, Pamela Cantor, M.D., and Hirokazu Yoshikawa offers a conceptual foundation for rethinking the nature of learning, the work of teaching, and the purpose and design of schools and youth-facing policies.

Pamela Cantor, M.D. explains what working memory is, how it works, why it's the gateway to learning, and the forces, including social media, that impede its critical function.

Pamela Cantor, M.D. discusses the inequities of the current education system and proposes a new vision for learning grounded in whole-child development.

A framework for the development of skills children need for success in school and beyond.

Part of the 2023 Attendance Awareness Campaign, this webinar focuses on strategies for increasing attendance, engagement, and belonging by drawing on the assets available to schools and communities.

March 30, 2023

Don't be afraid of A.I. Chatbots. They could be key to boosting your child's learning.

Reimagining education in the United States.

Learning Loss: Learn What We Can Do About It Watch Dr. Pamela Cantor, M.D. in conversation with NBC News' Kate Snow, National PTA President Anna King, and Co-CEO of Excellence Community Charter Schools Dr. Charlene Reid as they answer parents' top questions about supporting young learners. From motivation and resilience to summer learning and academic success, explore expert insights on what truly helps children thrive. Watch the full discussion here.

In her book The Stolen Year: How COVID Changed Children’s Lives, and Where We Go Now, Anya Kamenetz writes that in March 2021, experts in pediatric infectious diseases reported that American youth were experiencing food insecurity, lack of socialization, depression, isolation….and were suffering academically, emotionally, socially, and physically.

New research in youth and adolescent development and what it means for creating learning contexts that truly support and nurture the whole child.

“The desire to fit in is one of the most powerful, least understood forces in a society.” That’s what Todd Rose writes in his book, Collective Illusions: Conformity, Complicity, and the Science of Why We Make Bad Decisions.

Renee Prince, a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), leverages research and trends in the mental health field to ensure that Turnaround for Children’s (now the Center for Whole Child Education at ASU) tools and services are informed by current clinical knowledge of trauma-informed practices.

Does an environment that is equitable for one child necessarily mean it becomes unequitable for another? Where is the balance, and how does it get struck?

What can the rest of us learn from Duncan-Andrade’s experience in building East Oakland’s Roses in Concrete school and apply to our own situations—as parents, educators, and community members—to rethink and reorient community education?

The goal of wellness might be simple, but Jeff Duncan-Andrade's remedy to reach it is not: A complete rethink and rebuild of public education, one built through something he calls “community responsiveness.”

In part two, Zaretta Hammond outlines practical steps for teachers to become, ideally, personal trainers of cognitive development.

What if children find themselves in spaces that teacher, educator, and author Zaretta Hammond calls “inequitable by design,” that prevent instead of promote safety and belonging?

Putting the Science of Learning and Development Into Action

What experiences can education technology offer to support those relationships and spur engagement and motivation to learn?

How children develop through a system of dynamic relationships and the collective set of contexts that they experience across their life spans.

Diana De Corte and Alexei Nichols on how Turnaround for Children's Well-Being Index works at their K-5 school in the Bronx.

When it comes to learning and thriving during the pandemic, many students have faced one obstacle after another—including lack of access to high-speed internet and devices, disconnection from teachers and friends, and the cancellation of sports, clubs and church choirs. But where many people see obstacles, Hal Smith sees opportunity.

What exactly can the Federal Department of Education do to respond to enduring questions of how to address inequities in funding, academic outcomes, and opportunities when reimagining education in America?

How learning can and should work in the face of a pandemic, social unrest, and more.

The disruption to schooling caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is an opportunity to rethink education.

Mention innovation in America, and what comes to mind? Silicon Valley? NASA? Tech firms? Not for Jim Shelton. He thinks: education. In fact, he wonders: Why, as we learn more about the science of learning and development, shouldn’t education—like, say, the military—have a full research and development infrastructure?

Now is a time to interrogate behaviors, attitudes and beliefs about how you interact with people. Are they harming or marginalizing them further? And how are you being an ally or a co-conspirator in helping people who are furthest from opportunity and marginalized to come closest to opportunity and less marginalized?

Race in America is a daily part of nearly every aspect of our lives including, of course, education. And that intersection where race, identity, equity and education all meet—that’s where Na’ilah Suad Nasir has dedicated her research, action, and career.

As the Science of Learning and Development becomes better understood—the discoveries that connect how children develop and learn and how their environments can make or break their progress—a challenge becomes clear: turning that research into practice.

Today we have scientific knowledge about learning, development, and talent that didn’t exist when many of the systems that serve children, in and out of school, were designed.

Enhancing the Lives of All Young People.

Giving students time to explore ideas with no immediate grade pressure helps motivate them to be creative and take intellectual risks.

In order to learn, students need to feel safe, cared for, and emotionally connected to their teachers and each other.

A research synthesis by Linda Darling-Hammond aimed at educators.

Letting students choose books to read helps them develop a sense of autonomy and ownership over their learning.

By regularly reviewing students’ behavior and learning as a team, teachers can ensure that every student is seen, supported, and celebrated.

For many struggling students, consistently spending informal time with a trusted educator supports emotional well-being and academic growth.

Research shows that greeting students as they come into class bolsters a feeling of belonging and readiness to learn.

Research shows that students who feel safe and supported by adults at school are better able to learn.

When students make “I notice” and “I wonder” comments on course content, teachers can see what they know—and what they need to learn.

When students help create their classrooms' rules and culture, they’re more engaged and invested in learning.

Research shows that taking some time each day to practice mindfulness as a class helps students prepare themselves for learning.

Research shows that taking some time each day to practice mindfulness as a class helps students prepare themselves for learning.

When teachers model self-regulation by using a voice that is calm, neutral, and assertive, they help students feel cared for—and ready to learn.

Explicitly modeling the process of prioritizing tasks builds students’ ability to organize and manage their time.

The key is giving students the decision-making tools they need to shape their own learning experiences.

Students deepen their understanding and build a sense of community by engaging with their peers’ reasoned arguments.

Sentence starters that students use to join a class discussion encourage both academic thinking and social connectedness.

NBC News' Hoda Kotbe interviews Pamela Cantor, M.D., actress Goldie Hawn, Superintendent Dr. Meria Joel Carstarphen, and Principal Peter DeWitt on what it takes to build safe and supportive schools.