Why are so many children faring so poorly in the richest nation on the planet? How might we do better? 

The Raising of America is a five-part documentary series that explores the question: Why are so many children in America faring so poorly? What are the consequences for the nation’s future? How might we, as a nation, do better? The series investigates these questions through different lenses: What does science tell us about the enduring importance of early life experiences on the brain and body? What it is like to be a parent today? And what policies and structures help or hinder the raising of healthy, happy and compassionate children?

Bud Werner Memorial Library, Routt County United Way and First Impressions of Routt County present a free screening of The Signature Hour, the hour-long introduction to Raising of America, which covers all three of these issues. After the film, a community discussion will be moderated by Routt County United Way Executive Director Kate Nowak and a panel of experts.

The Signature Hour interweaves discoveries from neuroscience with the stories of families and communities struggling to provide the nurturing environments all babies and young children need to thrive—while too often hindered by social conditions that put their children on low developmental paths. It reveals how stressors on parents can drip down on their infants and young children, literally altering the wiring of their developing brains with enduring effects. 

Run time: 1 hour