Small Talks, No. 10
May 14, 2021
Welcome to the tenth edition of Small Talks. Every Friday, I highlight 6 areas of weekly joys and reflections in early childhood and the whole family. Small Talks leverages my experience at the intersection of education, philanthropy and impact investing. Enjoy!
What I’m celebrating —
Two recent studies show strong long-term outcomes of pre-school:
Boston pre-K program: New research shows higher graduation rates, lesser juvenile incarceration and higher college enrollment - across racial and income groups. Interestingly, no improvement on test scores. Effects were larger for boys than girls.
"How could pre-K have these positive effects without lifting test scores? It seems to improve children’s social and emotional skills and help them mature"
New Jersey pre-K program: Another research shows the benefits of pre-K through 10th grade: 1 year of high quality pre-K is good, and 2 years is even better. It also shows higher achievement across school subjects and reduction in grade retention.
Also, great summary of research literature on the impact of early childhood in the U.S. by Liz Cascio, “What, When, Where, Who, How and Why”
A group of philanthropists launched the CARE fund, a new $50m fund focused on building the care infrastructure.
At Omidyar Network/Imaginable Futures, I had invested in Handshake that just became a *unicorn* 🦄. It is truly remarkable how this organization has stayed true and executed on its impact mission of democratizing access to early careers. Read more from CEO Garrett Lord and good coverage. 49% of ALL college grad offers for opportunities were found on Handshake…an incredible scale.
This tweet from MIT Professor Troy Littleton supporting student parents went viral (of course)…
What I’m listening to —
I enjoyed this episode of “What I’ve Learned” with Arianna Huffington and Laurie Santos on happiness. Laurie Santos’ Psychology and the Good Life has become the most popular course in Yale's history, with 1 in 4 Yale's undergrads enrolled. It is filled with practical tips on sleep & gratitude, including mindset shift, “affective spirals”, “post-traumatic growth”, and '“corona-somnia”.
Roots of Empathy’s remarkable virtual symposium “Empathy and Well-Being” brought together top North American neuroscientists and experts on wellbeing and empathy like Dr. Richard Davidson, Dr. Dan Siegel, Prof. Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, and Dr. Bruce Perry. It dove into topics such as empathy in leadership, social justice, and cross-border perspective on black fatherhood.
What I’m reading —
As we celebrated Mother’s Day, I read those two remarkable books on the science of motherhood.
Anthropologist Dr. Sarah Blaffer Hrdy explains the extraordinary social skills of an infant that are at the heart of what makes us human. In "Mothers and Others: The Evolutionary Origins of Mutual Understanding," she explains how human babies are outrageously dependent on their elders for a long time, and the importance of cooperation in human child-rearing.
This new book Mom Genes: Inside the New Science of Our Ancient Maternal Instinct by Abigail Tucker weaves in personal stories (C-section/ bout postpartum depression) and latest research from biology and neuroscience on motherhood.
What I’m watching —
DutyFree is a beautiful documentary about a 75-old mom losing her job as a hotel housekeeper, and an uplifting mom-son love relationship. The documentary highlights ageism, the care economy, and inter-generational kinship.
What I’m learning and exploring more deeply —
The report “School disrupted” by Tyton Partners shows that 15% of parents changed schools-2.5x more than pre-pandemic levels. Householders spent $20Bn additional on education, primarily on learning pods - an astounding number….The “consumerization” trends in education are real, and raising obvious equity concerns.
The Postsecondary Commission (funded by the Gates Foundation) releases a thorough report seeking to answer ‘What is College Worth?’. A stunning 650 institutions - a majority being private for-profit - fail to meet the most basic threshold (graduates earn at least as much as a high school graduate plus enough to recoup their total net price plus interest within ten years).
Good and timely piece, especially as the summer approaches about “The Role of Play in Post Pandemic Healing.”
Quote I am pondering —
“I love you because no two snowflakes are alike, and it is possible, if you stand tippy-toe, to walk between the raindrops.”
— Beloved poet Nikki Giovanni
Feedback is a gift. Which part above is your favorite? What did I miss? What do you want more or less of? Other suggestions? Please kindly let me know.
Please kindly spread the word as you see fit.
Have a wonderful week. Please stay safe and care for each other.
Isabelle