Prof. Jack Shonkoff on Connecting Science + Community to Transform Early Childhood Development
- Sep 14, 2025
- 2 min read
Professor Jack Shonkoff, Founding Director of Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child and Director of Connecting Science + Community, joins for a powerful conversation about the future of early childhood development (ECD).
He reflects on decades of progress in making science actionable for policymakers, service providers and advocates; and shares why the next frontier must focus on the environments where families live.
From poverty and housing to access to nutritious food, clean water and social capital, Shonkoff explains why community context is the missing piece in ensuring children everywhere can thrive.
Key topics explored in this episode:
Why ECD is a moral imperative and a foundation for a healthy, sustainable society
How science — from neuroscience to immunology — is reshaping our understanding of child development
Why one-size-fits-all programs fail, and how solutions must adapt to local contexts
The misaligned incentives in philanthropy, evaluation and policymaking that slow progress
How Connecting Science + Community is bridging research and grassroots action, with early examples of U.S. cities tackling housing, jobs and equity for children
Why being “constructively dissatisfied” is essential for the field to keep advancing
Professor Shonkoff emphasizes that while the early childhood field has already transformed millions of lives worldwide, the work is far from finished. Real impact will come from smarter strategies, stronger communities and a commitment to caring not only for our children but for all children.
About Prof. Jack Shonkoff MD
Jack P. Shonkoff, M.D. is the Julius B. Richmond FAMRI Professor of Child Health and Development at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health and Harvard Graduate School of Education; Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital; Founding Director of the university-wide Center on the Developing Child; and Chair of the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, whose mission is to bring credible science to bear on public policy affecting young children.
He currently directs a new initiative titled Connecting Science + Community whose aim is to achieve greater impact on current well-being and future life outcomes for children experiencing poverty, economic insecurity, racism and/or other structural inequities. CSC’s strategy draws on advances in the science of early childhood development, lessons learned from direct services for young children and families, and deeper engagement in place-based investments through an early childhood lens.
Jack Shonkoff has received multiple honors, including elected membership to the National Academy of Medicine, the C. Anderson Aldrich Award in Child Development from the American Academy of Pediatrics; the Award for Distinguished Contributions to Public Policy for Children from the Society for Research in Child Development; and The LEGO Prize.