Between the 8-11th July last year, 1,100 of the world’s leading developmental neuroscientists convened at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow, Scotland, for the International Congress of Infant Studies (ICIS) to exchange research, education, and stories, but also to propagate future research and understanding of a child’s early learning from years 0-3.
Immersive Community Engagement
But, inspired by the Glasgow Convention Bureau, with funding support from the Glasgow City Council, the congress hosts devised a series of community outreach and engagement events in order to leave a positive impact on the children and parents of the city.
Citing the VisitBritain BE Impactful training and framework delivered in partnership with #MEET4IMPACT and GDS-Movement, the Glasgow Convention Bureau chief, Aileen Crawford explained the intentional use of the event to crowdsource enhanced child welfare development by providing parental and carer advice from the visiting experts in partnership with the Congress chair, Professor Sam Wass of the Department of Psychology & Human Development at the University of East London.
Anne Wood: “The shorter the child, the smaller the budget.”
A Developmental Perspective
“1,100 people will have left the International Congress of Infant Studies with 1,100 different stories of how their research was inspired by it”, said Wass, noting several leading experts in attendance included Dr. Rachel F. Barr and Prof. Heather Corcoran PhD, PMP, LSSGB, and Early Years Scotland CEO, Jane Brumpton who commented on the outreach program; “It widens the reach”, she said, “For an international event to come to Glasgow and then we’re able to push [the content] out to the benefit, ultimately, of the children”.
Back at college, Wass shared the outreach in Glasgow
“The ultimate aim of scientists,” added Wass, “is to uncover truths that are helpful to people, that help us to understand how childhood is changing, how we should be interacting with our babies and our young toddlers in order to help their development.”
