Let’s be BOLD about learning

Does the world really need another science blog? This is a question a number of people have raised, implicitly or explicitly, since I started telling them about BOLD, the Blog on Learning and Development that the Jacobs Foundation is now launching.

The answer is simple: Yes! Just think about the accumulated insights of many years’ research in the field of child and youth development. These findings deserve to be communicated to teachers, decision makers, parents and other interested parties. They deserve to be debated and translated into action.

BOLD will help to achieve these goals by building on the Jacobs Foundation’s longstanding efforts to promote child and youth development. BOLD is a platform designed to facilitate the interdisciplinary exchange of knowledge, and it is intended not only for scientists and researchers, but also for policymakers, practitioners, and an interested public. We are convinced that this blog meets a need.

A noble goal, but isn’t it overly ambitious?

It certainly is ambitious. Indeed, that ambition is reflected in the name we chose: BOLD. Time will tell what the overall impact of our blog will be. But it will definitely boost the Jacobs Foundation’s efforts to trigger debate, add to knowledge in the field, and help to promote the development of children and young people.

The world of research is coming to realize that science needs to be public in the true sense of the word. Public, open, immediate and interactive science communication can be fostered through platforms like blogs and social media. Only by actively participating in this movement will we be able to really put something in motion – and this means taking the risk of setting ambitious goals.

And where can I find the video content, podcasts, etc.?

Bear with us! It’s all in the pipeline. But today, we are thrilled to launch this blog by posting the first of many contributions from a worldwide network of researchers. It is our hope that their insights will spread and help to bring about tangible improvements in the learning and development of children and young people.

We are looking forward to all kinds of responses, whether they are contributions to a discussion, suggestions for improving this blog or assistance in spreading the word. And please get in touch if you would like to participate in this initiative by submitting a blog post or in any other way!