Early Childhood Development in Global Contexts

GHP 209 Subject & Catalog Number

Description

Around the world, an estimated 250 million children under the age of five are failing to meet their developmental potential. Nevertheless, culturally sensitive interventions to promote early childhood development (ECD) are not widely integrated or prioritized in health and education platforms. This interdisciplinary course introduces students to core concepts in ECD, cross-cultural theory, contexts of risk and protection, and early intervention and policy. Course meetings will combine lectures, virtual interviews with global experts, and small-group discussion to equip students with the knowledge and skills to appropriately design, plan, evaluate, and appraise sensitive and specific ECD programming. In particular, the course will introduce students to foundational topics in education and public health – including theories of change, implementation research methods, and the ethics of intervention and cross-cultural work – while supporting the application of these topics to real-world interventions for young children.