Believe, and Have Hope
Hope is contagious; scientifically-grounded hope is that much more so.
At this time when education policy is in a blender, our children, our families and our communities must hold on to the belief that we can do better, the knowledge that they deserve more and the hope that together we can find better solutions to help more kids. Our work—and the student transformations we’ve been privileged to observe up close since 2019—have powerfullly demonstrated to us that neuroscience points the way to solutions that improve student outcomes and reduce special education costs. The question is not whether we should update educational approaches using that science, but what policy and social changes will be required for us to do so.
That change may feel bigger than any one of us can effect on our own, but it starts with spreading the word about what’s possible when we apply science, and with (the sometimes revolutionary act of) holding hope.
Parents and taxpayers will demand more for their kids and their communities when they know that more is possible. School districts are not the enemy—they're working under extreme pressure with outdated tools and centrally-mandated restrictions pointing them back to previous outcomes rather than forward to new solutions. As a community of parents, educators and policymakers who care about vulnerable special education kids, we need to help them see that more is possible, and create the political conditions they need to make it so.
At the heart of this journey—and where it all began for us as an organization—is to believe in what neuroscience shows us is possible, and let that fuel the hope we need to push towards access for all to innovative educational approaches that can redefine what’s possible for a child, and for education as a whole. When we started Cajal, it was 3 parts belief in the science and 7 parts hope it would work—because to our knowledge, noone had ever successfully reduced learning, social-emotional and executive function difficulties through neuroplasticity.
Today, these are some of the stories of student transformations over the years that we turn to to refill our cups with hope; click on each one or visit our Results center to do so for yourself as well.
Want to help us spread this movement for change?
Here are some more ways you can help!
