Bringing NEAR Science to the Early Childhood Education Community
Last year, in partnership with 80×3 at Greater Twin Cities United Way, FamilyWise adapted our NEAR Science presentation for early childhood education (ECE) professionals with the goal of strengthening understanding of Neurobiology, Epigenetics, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Resilience research within the ECE field. The training offers approaches that Early Childhood Educators can take to respond to children and parents who have experienced trauma.
Presentation at Washburn Center for Children
“At 80×3, we believe that understanding NEAR Science is not optional for those caring for children under five; it’s essential,” says Jamie Bonczyk of the Greater Twin Cities United Way. “The early years are when the brain is most malleable, and what caregivers do and understand during this time can shape a child’s entire life trajectory.”
FamilyWise Prevention Services staff led the customization effort, with input from our First Step Early Childhood Education Center lead teacher. We also engaged community partners in the ECE field to shape the content through a roundtable conversation and surveys.
Reshaping educational opportunities for ECE providers is an area of focus for 80×3. “We must change the system that delivers information to childcare providers, both how they receive it and the quality of what they receive,” says Jamie. “When we say, ‘What is predictable is preventable,’ we mean that with the right knowledge, we can interrupt cycles of adversity before they take root. And when we say, ‘ACEs are not our destiny,’ we affirm that healing and resilience are possible. Every provider deserves access to science that empowers them to be part of that healing. Our partnership with FamilyWise is an opportunity to do just that.”
Since this project began in 2024, FamilyWise has trained 27 ECE professionals to share NEAR Science information with their colleagues in the field. Collectively, our Presenters and staff have hosted 10 presentations, reaching 410 ECE providers across Minnesota.
“It’s been exciting to see such high demand for this information in the ECE community,” says Emily Clary, FamilyWise Senior Director of Prevention Initiatives. “For a lot of people we’ve already presented to, they were not aware of how all this information is connected; maybe they had learned about ACEs, but they hadn’t connected that learning to strategies we can use to mitigate harm and respond in ways that are more supportive. That’s all part of the approach that we are taking through our partnership with 80×3 at Greater Twin Cities United Way.”
Attendees consistently express a desire to respond to others with more compassion and understanding after hearing the presentation. They appreciate learning about brain development, including epigenetics and neuroplasticity, and find co-regulation and trauma-informed strategies to be particularly helpful aspects of the training.
“Early childhood providers are one of those key voices in a family’s village. Having them equipped with this information will ripple out to families,” shares Emily. For example, the project aims to provide ECE professionals with a research-based framework for managing behavior that they can share with parents and caregivers who might be struggling with their child(ren) at home.
FamilyWise is hopeful that ECE providers who take time to integrate this information into their environment will see improved staff retention in a field where turnover is high. “We are supporting early childcare providers so they can show up for children and families in a way that really understands the research of why it matters to be regulated and taking care of themselves,” says Emily.
We are currently planning and scheduling a dozen more presentations between now and the end of the year to meet demand to expand access to the presentation. FamilyWise has partnered with a bilingual consultant and native Spanish speakers from different regions to translate the curriculum into Spanish. “We feel so grateful that funding from United Way has allowed us to work on a Spanish translation of our NEAR Science presentation in a way that aligns with our values,” shares Susie Voss, FamilyWise Training Manager. We anticipate that this content will be available by early fall, and plan to begin offering the presentation to Spanish-speaking ECE providers by the end of the year.
To learn more about NEAR Science, visit https://familywiseservices.org/near-communities/