Scenes from AMERICAN BIRTHRIGHT (working title): A documentary and multimedia project linking early child development to a more equitable and prosperous america

AMERICAN BIRTHRIGHT (working title), by the producers of UNNATURAL CAUSES: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?, is an ambitious multimedia initiative – a television documentary, video learning modules, online learning center and pubic engagement campaign scheduled for completion in Spring 2013 – which re-frames the way Americans look at early child health and development.

Why do children in the U.S. have worse outcomes on most measures of health, learning and well-being than other rich nations? Why do we as a nation allow our most vulnerable children to fall much further behind the median? How do we too-often undermine the efforts of even the best-intentioned parents and caregivers to provide the nurturing environments children need to thrive? Ultimately, what can we do to reverse these trends and provide all our children a strong start in life—and lay the groundwork for a healthier, safer, better educated, more equitable and more prosperous America?

In this session we will introduce AMERICAN BIRTHRIGHT, screen work-in-progress scenes, discuss the merits of taking a life-course approach and a strength / resilience (as opposed to a deficit) model, and consider ways the series and companion tools can be used in the community, the classroom, with public officials and elsewhere to build alliances and support for changes that can make a nurturing early child environment—safe, stable, and stimulating—the birthright of every infant.

A structured discussion will enable session attendees to provide helpful feedback to the producers of the film.