Brainpower Summit

Brainpower summit reveals new research for lifelong education

By The Times-Union, Florida

Imagine what would happen if every man, woman and child in Duval County could learn faster, think more clearly and retain more of what they've seen and heard.

, No this isn't science fiction. What's happening today in the field of brain-based research could have a positive impact on literally everyone in our community, from preschool to our elderly population.

That is why Duval County public schools and our partners are hosting 500 local leaders from the education, health care, government and business sectors this Thursday and Friday at a free, two-day summit at the Prime Osborn Convention Center.

National and local experts - the ones making the breakthrough advances in neuroscience - will be here to help these Jacksonville leaders answer one important question: Can we improve the brainpower of our entire community?

Traditionally, it was thought that the human brain became "hard-wired" at an early age and after that could no longer grow or change.

The brainpower you had around ages 3 to 5 was all you were ever going to get, end of story.

But now, breakthroughs in neuroscience research reveal that the brain can continue to develop and improve throughout one's lifetime. And that type of news has the potential to affect every kind of community service offered to Duval County residents.

Realizing the truth about our "transformable" brains wipes away myths that have done us a disservice for decades.

Think it's inevitable that your memory will weaken as you age? Wrong.

According to neuroscientist Steven Miller, exercising the brain, good nutrition and adequate sleep can delay the decline, reverse it or, best of all, keep us at the peak of our abilities.

The research also offers a solution for dropouts, many of whom feel that the system gave up on them.

Indeed, some educators consider at-risk adolescent students to be set in their ways and think that all that can be done is to back off and offer lower-level alternative tracks.

But adolescence is the second-fastest growth phase for the brain; the areas that will control decision making and reasoning are being established during this time. Clearly, it is not the time to "back off."

Great strides forward are being tallied here by Nemours' BrightStart! Initiative that focuses on early identification of preschoolers at risk for dyslexia.

For those who need it, the free program offers intensive educational instruction to prepare these youngsters for success in kindergarten.

Nemours' results are impressive.

Two-thirds of the at-risk preschoolers moved to the normal range of early literacy skills after intervention.

In conjunction with the Jacksonville summit, Nemours is hosting a presentation by the dean of the Harvard Medical School, Joseph B. Martin.

This past year in a number of our Duval County schools, success stories came to life in students using Fast ForWord, a technological intervention that grew from recent research.

It was not unusual for Duval County students to advance their reading level significantly after a few months with the program.

Neuroscience research can influence every aspect and phase of life, from preparing preschool children for the competition of academics and future employment to the type of treatments provided for stroke or trauma victims.

I'm excited to say those changes are coming to Duval County, thanks to a forward-thinking School Board and dedicated staff.

The summit this week will educate leaders on practical ways in which this research can serve the people of Jacksonville.

Experts such as Martin, Michael Merzenich of the Keck Center for Integrative Neurosciences at the University of California San Francisco, Paula Tallal of Rutgers University and Laura Bailet of Nemours BrightStarts! will be on hand to help us understand the potential of this new body of knowledge.

It is possible for every man, woman and child in our county to learn faster, think more clearly and remember more of what they've seen and heard.

We can help students who think the system has given up on them.

We can stop and even repair certain types of mental deterioration.

The brain is our frontier for the 21st century, and I have every confidence that we will build a new and better world from our discoveries.

Joseph Wise is superintendent of Duval County public schools.