Pamela Cantor M.D., Speaks at Partnership for After School Education Symposium

Turnaround for Children Founder and Senior Science Advisor, Pamela Cantor, M.D., spoke at the symposium, “(Re)imagining a Recovery Agenda: Leveraging the Science of Learning for Youth Success,” hosted by Partnership for After School Education (PASE).

More than 60 education stakeholders from in and around New York City convened for the event, which centered on applying the science of learning and development to inform a recovery agenda for young people to address the disruptions and lingering challenges sustained during the pandemic. Panelists and speakers included leading researchers on the science of learning as well as local education leaders. Participants and panelists called for school-based and afterschool support that accounts for the individualized needs of students, with a focus on fostering strong relationships, supporting mental health and looking beyond academic measures of student success.

Dr. Cantor’s presentation touched on the structures and systems in the brain and body that aid learning, with a focus on the importance of relationships in recovering from trauma and building resilience to future stress. Highlighting the Design Principles playbooks, Cantor spoke about designing learning environments—both school and community-based—that operationalize the core elements of whole-child design, citing how this current moment provides an opportunity to reimagine systems and advocate for change.