Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP)

🍎✏️ Out now! New research from HELP faculty Magdalena Janus and colleagues reveals math gaps between kids start in kindergarten and often persist through Grade 9, reinforcing the importance of investing in the early years to improve educational outcomes.

Read now via The Conversation Canada 👉 https://hubs.la/Q04sj5fD0

Math gaps between Ontario kids start in kindergarten — and often persist through Grade 9 Math achievement gaps begin in kindergarten and persist through Grade 9, highlighting the importance of investing in children’s early development.

☀️📚 Looking for some summer reading inspiration? Why not catch up on the latest publications from our faculty and affiliates in the latest issue of HELP Reads!

This month we are featuring a wide selection of new publications, resources, and numerous editor's picks.

Dive in now 👉https://hubs.la/Q04qLJ8W0

Physical activity is important for everybody. To expand accessible, affordable ways to be active close to home, BC Alliance for Healthy Living (BCAHL) is now accepting applications for the Active Communities Grant program.

Supported by the Province of British Columbia, this program provides grants of up to $20,000 to Indigenous and local governments to create or expand physical activity opportunities.

Find out more and download an application on our website: https://ow.ly/MGes50Zlmz6

📣 New publication alert ✏️

🔗https://hubs.la/Q04qc-FC0

New HELP research using Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (CHEQ) and Early Development Instrument (EDI) data strengthens evidence that outdoor risky play supports early childhood development in alignment with the Canadian Paediatric Society's position statement on “Healthy childhood development through outdoor risky play”.

The research highlights the need to limit screen time and provide thrilling outdoor risky play opportunities in the early years to help reduce developmental vulnerability in kindergarten.

Read the full publication here 👉 https://hubs.la/Q04qc-FC0

Outside Play UBC
Mariana Brussoni

Are you a Musqueam, Squamish, or Tsleil-Waututh artist? We invite you to apply to illustrate a workbook for researchers learning to decolonize the academic ego and partner in relational ways.

We are hiring 3 artists for paid summer work in collaboration with the project team, who are Indigenous and allied staff at UBC. Deadline to apply is July 31.

Learn more and apply now: https://hubs.la/Q04pd6Zy0

🪀🧸 Did you hear? HELP Director Dr. Mariana Brussoni in conversation with CBC Radio's Amanda Pfeffer, discussing Toy Story 5: How the toys vs screens battle is playing out at home.

🎧 Catch the segment around the 22 minute mark 👉 https://hubs.la/Q04nQz8s0

🔍What do our kids lose when they can't take risks?

🎧 Listen to HELP Director Dr. Mariana Brussoni on The Evan Bray Show discussing the importance of risky play and whether Kids Need More Freedom?

👉 https://hubs.la/Q04nQvkL0

Do Kids Need More Freedom? It's the first full week of summer vacation! The kids are home, but that raises the question: how much freedom should they be given? In the '80s, we'd let them roam the neighbourhood, but these days most are kept on a tighter leash. What do our kids lose when they can't take risks? For more on this,...

📣 "Identifying children who may need extra support when they begin school provides an opportunity for timely interventions that can improve long-term outcomes."

New research from Anne Gadermann, HELP Faculty, and Zakir Hossin, former HELP postdoctoral fellow, along with colleagues at Karolinska Institutet shows that children born to mothers with congenital heart disease are more likely to experience developmental challenges by the time they start school.

🔗 https://hubs.la/Q04nvW660

UBC SPPH
Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia

Children of mothers with congenital heart disease face higher risk of developmental vulnerability - Human Early Learning Partnership New UBC research highlights importance of ensuring children and families receive the care and resources they need.

www.participaction.com

📣 Webinar Alert 📣

Wondering whether artificial or natural playground surfacing materials are the best option for your school or child care program? 📢 ⏰ Join Mariana Brussoni, HELP director, this Thursday for the HELD 2026 Speaker Series: Weighing the Surfacing Options!

🔗 https://hubs.la/Q04lD2qG0
🗓️ Thursday, June 18
⏰ 11 AM - 12 PM PDT

Learn more and register here for the event 👉https://hubs.la/Q04lD2qG0

Canadian Partnership for Children's Health & Environment

HELD 2026 Speaker Series: Weighing the Surfacing Options HELD Speaker Series Session 1 – Weighing the Options: Artificial vs. Natural Surfacing in Children’s Outdoor Learning and Play Settings