itotheN
Human-centered
innovation for intergenerational
impact
A (brain) matter of beginnings.
Research shows that how human minds are formed in early life sets the foundation for society's economic productivity, peace and well-being. Yet, the current state of the world's infants and children -particularly their social-emotional development- is alarming. Even worse, efforts in support of the mental and emotional development of infants and children is far from being a global priority.
DEVELOPMENTAL ORIGINS OF ECONOMIC, PEACE AND HEALTH OUTCOMES.
Multidisciplinary research in neuroscience, psychology, education, human development and economics from Harvard University, Yale University, New York University and University of Chicago among many others shows that early experiences help shape how human minds are formed in the younger years, setting the foundation for society's future economic productivity, peace, health and well-being.
THE CURRENT STATE OF THE WORLD'S CHILDREN
90% of children under the age of five live in low and middle income countries. 250 million of them are at risk of not reaching their developmental potential. The healthy brain development of infants and children around the world is threatened by the prevalence of largely unaddressed and pervasive adverse childhood experiences and the toxic stress they represent. In many cases, these stem from intra-household issues, such as inadequate caregiving, violent disciplining and poor parental mental health, as well as contextual issues like poverty, disease, conflict, community values and family policies.
THE HEALTHY FORMATION OF THE HUMAN MIND IS NOT A GLOBAL PRIORITY
The United Nations and other organizations agree that "there is an overall lack of information on how much countries spend on early childhood development" and that "currently governments and donors are failing to reflect the importance of [this sector] in their budgetary priorities" As consequence early childhood development as a whole is "severely underfunded, particularly in low and middle income countries".
International development made whole.
itotheN's approach to international development seeks to counter-balance an adult-centric view of progress, quick tech fixes and external agents of change.
We strive to use the latest research in psychology and neuroscience to analyze problems putting science and a strong sense of humanity first in addressing human impediments to prosperity.
Our solutions result in -and from- the well-being of new generations of humans.
"The effects of the childhood environment, favorable or unfavorable, interact with all the processes of neurodevelopment (neurogenesis, migration, differentiation, apoptosis, arborization, synaptogenesis, synaptic sculpting and myelination). Abuse studies... point to the need for children and young non-human mammals to have both, stable emotional attachments with, and touch from, primary adult caregivers and spontaneous interactions with peers. If these connections are lacking, brain development both of caring behavior and cognitive capacities, is damaged in a lasting fashion."