COMMUNITY

The purpose of Community Outreach and Dissemination at The Urban Child Institute is to increase the Memphis community's awareness about the importance of early brain development and the role of positive early brain development in giving children from 0-3 the best possible start in life. To ensure that our message penetrates all sectors of the community, we collaborate with state, local, public and private organizations.
Our primary partner is the Neighborhood Christian Center (NCC), a non-profit organization that is unique because it partners with community agencies to provide both spiritual and human services. NCC's extensive reach throughout the grassroots community assists The Urban Child Institute in achieving its stated purpose: promoting optimal brain development from conception to three years old. Through our education and awareness initiatives, we hope to facilitate positive changes in the actions and behaviors of a variety of audiences in the community: parents, providers, professionals, philanthropists, and policy makers.

We work to achieve this goal by:

* Disseminating research and best practices through presentations, exhibits, public awareness messaging, and our annual publication: The State of Children in Memphis and Shelby County

* Hosting monthly learning events to provide community members with opportunities to learn about the latest research and best practices in early childhood brain development from local and national experts

* Facilitating and convening people to discuss, plan, and develop integrated early brain development awareness through various initiatives across the community

* Engaging and energizing the commitment and capacity in communities of parents, providers, professionals, philanthropists and policy makers to take action based upon their awareness of the importance of early brain development