LEAPS: A 2-Generation Approach for Early Childhood and Youth Development

In Pakistan, millions of young children lack access to quality early childhood education, while young women face limited opportunities for training and employment. LEAPS, a youth-led program led by Professor Aisha K. Yousafzai, trains female youth to deliver early education in underserved communities — creating a powerful two-generation impact. In this session, Professor Yousafzai will share key findings from LEAPS, highlighting how this innovative approach strengthens child development, empowers young women, and offers valuable lessons for global health, education, and workforce development programs.

This event is free and open to the public. 

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About the Speaker

Aisha K. Yousafzai, PhD

Professor of Child Development and Health in the Department of Global Health and Population at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Professor Yousafzai’s research focuses on promoting the well-being of children and the stability of families among disadvantaged and vulnerable populations in low- and middle-income countries, with a special focus on south Asia, and east and southern Africa. She examines both child development and systems as a whole, specifically showing how interventions that can promote early childhood development can be mainstreamed effectively into these existing systems. One of Professor Yousafzai’s most significant studies is the Pakistan Early Child Development Scale-Up (PEDS) trial, a cluster randomized controlled trial evaluating responsive stimulation and nutrition interventions to strengthen early child development and growth outcomes. Professor Yousafzai has written extensively about early childhood interventions in low- and middle-income countries including recent articles in Annals of the New York Academy of Science, Annual Review of Psychology, Lancet, Lancet Global Health, and Pediatrics. She also serves on a number of Advisory Groups on early child development for international organizations including UNICEF and the Early Childhood Development Action Network.

About the Global Research and Innovation Speaker Series

The Harvard Global Health Institute’s Global Health Research and Innovation Speaker Series showcases the latest scholarly and scientific advancements in global health across Harvard and beyond, to make cutting-edge research accessible to a diverse global audience, and to spark innovative solutions in the pursuit of health equity and improved health outcomes worldwide. The public series takes place virtually on the second Tuesday of each month from 12:00 to 12:45 pm ET. Each session will include a presentation by a featured speaker showcasing their innovative research in global health, followed by a moderated Q&A.

Speakers will share their own perspectives; they do not speak for Harvard.