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Updates

Early Childhood Development|November 17, 2021

Don’t Let Universal Pre-K Substitute for Universal Kindergarten Readiness

Andy Myers of Waterford.org argues that a more equitable, direct and holistic way of framing the issue of universal Pre-K is determining how we can achieve universal kindergarten readiness: "We should leverage the complete set of in-person and digital resources -- developed by educators and nonprofits both before and during the pandemic -- to ensure that all children have the core skills in academics, social-emotional development and school routines to be kindergarten-ready."

Medical Research & Talent|November 17, 2021

Dr. Tobiloba Oni, Valhalla Fellow at the Whitehead Institute, Shares his Work to Fight Pancreatic Cancer

Dr. Tobiloba Oni has leveraged Valhalla Foundation's support to secure additional funding to fight pancreatic cancer from the Emerald Foundation, the Hirshberg Foundation, Break Through Cancer, and the US Department of Defense.

Early Childhood Development|November 1, 2021

As Washington Wrangles Over Spending, How Can Philanthropy Make the Case for Family Child Care?

Valhalla grantee All Our Kin has played a leadership role in building and professionalizing the child care sector for two decades. If the Biden administration's proposal to overhaul the child care system in the U.S. passes, there will be an historic opportunity to improve child care quality and supply.

Environmental Innovation|October 29, 2021

The Fastest Way to Slow Climate Change Now

EDF Senior Scientist, Dr. Ilissa Ocko, explains at TED Countdown, "Cutting methane is the single fastest, most effective opportunity to reduce climate change risks in the near term."

Medical Research & Talent|October 15, 2021

Clinician-Scientist Kipp Weiskopf Appointed as a Valhalla Fellow at Whitehead Institute

Kipp Weiskopf—who is identifying ways to prompt macrophages to fight cancer—has been named a Valhalla Fellow.

Early Childhood Development|October 7, 2021

The Prenatal-to-3 Policy (PN-3) Impact Center Releases their 2021 State Policy Roadmap and Family Resource Comparison

PN-3 has released its second annual State Policy Roadmap that tracks progress state-by-state on the implementation of evidence-based policies and strategies to improve outcomes for young children. This year, PN-3 also analyzed the ways these policies interact with each other to impact the total resources available to families in each state, showing wide variation across the U.S.

Early Childhood Development|October 7, 2021

Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Maternal and Child Health Through Home Visiting Programs

Systemic racism within health care and other social institutions has led to significant racial and ethnic disparities in access to health care, poor health outcomes, and high mortality rates for women and children of color. Fortunately, evidence-based home visiting programs like Nurse-Family Partnership are helping to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities.

Early Childhood Development|September 21, 2021

Can’t Compete: Why Hiring for Child Care is a Huge Struggle

The shortage of private childcare, which has worsened during the pandemic, is a major problem for parents of young children, and staffing challenges are the primary driver. The Biden administration is trying to address this issue.

Environmental Innovation|September 13, 2021

Scientists Build Satellite to Monitor Methane Leaks that Contribute to Global Warming

EDF Scientist Ilissa Ocko explains, “Reducing methane emissions is the single fastest opportunity we have to slow down the rate of warming.”

Medical Research & Talent|September 2, 2021

Two Whitehead Fellows Named to MIT and Harvard Faculties

Kristin Knouse joined the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) faculty as an assistant professor of biology and a member of MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer. As a Scott Cook and Signe Ostby Fellow at the Whitehead Institute since 2018, Knouse worked to understand how tissues sense and respond to damage.