Science tells us that a child’s brain grows fastest from birth through age five, and what happens during that time significantly determines how the child will learn, grow and succeed long-term. Every time we engage with young children—by looking into their eyes, reading, giggling or babbling—it’s not just their eyes that light up; their brains are lighting up, too.  And, advances in neuroscience and brain imaging have allowed us to see this development in real time.  Despite these advances, too many children fall behind before they enter kindergarten.

So what do we do? For nearly a decade, the Bezos Family Foundation has led with science. We’ve funded child development research and neuroscience at leading institutions. These investments—combined with funding from other foundations committed to early childhood—paved the way for increased public investment in high quality programs.  But we knew we needed to do more to get that science out of the labs and directly into the hands of parents, caregivers and early learning communities, as reaching parents in their homes and on the go is challenging.

Vroom AppEnter Vroom, a nationwide initiative that helps parents and caregivers turn everyday moments into brain building experiences by delivering science-backed tips through technology, media and trusted organizations in families’ lives.

The Vroom mobile app offers over 1,000 accessible, fun and free brain-building activities that turn routines—diaper changing, feeding or riding the bus—into brain-building moments.

The science, or as we call it, the “Brainy Background,” accompanies each of the 1,000+ activities.

Reaching Underserved Families

Vroom requires no training to use, no fancy toys or parenting classes. Vroom tips are delivered to a parent or caretaker’s smartphone, customized by the age of the child, and timed to activities like mealtime, bath time, bedtime, or any time in between. All tips are also available online, making it easy for parents and caregivers who are often under-supported, under-appreciated and time-challenged.

To expand our reach, Vroom partners with well-known brands and media, including Fred Rogers Company, Goya Foods, Amazon, Univision and Baby Box Company. These brands showcase brain-building tips on product packaging and in programming, reaching millions more people.

Vroom is also found in grocery store aisles, at health clinics and at children’s museums across the country. For example, the Children’s Museum of Denver offers bilingual brain-building prompts throughout the museum. Vroom is also surfacing through trusted organizations. This includes the neighborhood WIC office that offers mealtime brain-building tips, and the family-court judge who recommends the Vroom mobile app to reunited families. Vroom has even made its way into the women’s prison system in Oregon. And through an innovative partnership with the International Rescue Committee, Vroom has been translated into Arabic for use at Syrian refugee camps in Jordan and Lebanon.

Over a half million underserved families in the U.S. know about Vroom through a trusted messenger. But we have more work to do. We believe it’s everyone’s job to ensure that children have the best start in life, and we’re working hard to build broad public support. To do this, everyone must understand they have a role to play.

How You Can Help:
  • Introduce Vroom’s Brain-Building Tips to nonprofits, organizations and communities you support.
  • Ensure support systems for parents are embedded in every program you back.
  • Partner with Vroom to deliver Brain-Building Tips on your company’s products or programming.
  • Invest in and advocate for more child development research

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Original contribution by Megan Wyatt, Managing Director, Strategy & Programs, Early Learning at the Bezos Family Foundation.