Dr. James Heckman, Nobel Laureate and a professor of economics at the University of Chicago, is an expert on human development. His work in economics, sociology, and psychology has given scientific weight to what many of us know to be anecdotally true – helping kids develop skills at an early age leads to great economic and social gains.

His work has similarities to research done at the UW Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, which has shown early learning works wonders for children’s academic performance – and pays dividends for life.

In the video below, Dr. Heckman discusses the economic gains to be realized by investing in early childhood education, and advocates for policy to strengthen early learning programs.

Read more about Dr. Heckman’s work here.