One of 22 Early Childhood Leaders Chosen

Washington, DC, (May 12, 2003) -- Dr. Kelley Abrams, a resident of Berkeley, California, has been chosen as one of only 22 fellows for ZERO TO THREE's prestigious Leaders for the 21st Century program. This leadership development initiative provides each of the participants with an opportunity to collaborate with top leaders from many disciplines, as well as receive assistance for an innovative project aimed at improving the lives of very young children. Eleven Solnit Fellows (individuals who are early in their careers) and 11 Harris Mid-Career Fellows (experienced professionals with an established record of leadership and achievement) participate in a planned series of activities designed to further their career goals, increase their leadership skills, expand their knowledge and perspective, and enlarge their collegial circles. The new fellows come from 11 states and Australia, and represent 11 disciplines including psychiatry, psychology, psychoanalysis, social work, pediatrics, law, policy, public health, early childhood education and linguistics.

Dr. Abrams, Research Psychologist at Through the Looking Glass, will focus her work during the eighteen-month fellowship on attachment theory for early intervention. Dr. Abrams received her BA from The Colorado College and her PhD from the University of California at Berkeley.

Leaders for the 21st Century is being funded by grants from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, philanthropist Irving Harris and The California Endowment.

ZERO TO THREE is a national non-profit founded 25 years ago by leading pediatricians and child development specialists to share new knowledge on how children develop in the early years. ZERO TO THREE focuses on the first three years of life because this is the time of greatest human growth and development. For more information, please see our web site: www.zerotothree.org/.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, based in Princeton, NJ, is the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to health and health care. It became a national institution in 1972 with receipt of a bequest from the industrialist whose name it bears, and has since made more than $2.6 billion in grants. The Foundation concentrates its grantmaking in three goal areas: to assure that all Americans have access to basic health care at reasonable costs; to improve the way services are organized and provided to people with chronic health conditions; and to reduce the personal, social and economic harm caused by substance abuse -- tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs.

Irving B. Harris, a corporate leader and noted philanthropist, has used his expertise and resources over the last 30 years to develop innovative programs; advocate for policies that address the comprehensive needs of infants, toddlers and their families; and to promote training for professionals who work with this population. He was instrumental in conceptualizing and establishing such well-respected institutions as the Erikson Institute and the Ounce of Prevention Fund, as well as the highly ambitious Beethoven Project, which has served as a model for Early Head Start. He has also endowed the Irving B. Harris School of Public Policy Studies at the University of Chicago. Mr. Harris's vision and leadership have earned him appointments to the National Commission on Children and the Carnegie Corporation of New York Task Force on Meeting the Needs of Children. He is a life member of ZERO TO THREE.

The California Endowment (The Endowment), created in 1996 is a private, statewide health foundation. The Endowment's mission is to expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities, and to promote fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians. The Endowment is committed to working with organizations and institutions that directly benefit the health and well-being of Californians.