A. The Endowment for Human Development (EHD) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to
improving health science education and public health. EHD equips educators, clinicians, and governments to
help everyone appreciate, apply, and communicate the science of health and human development.
A. EHD personnel (including members of the board of directors and board of advisors, staff,
and volunteers), technical advisors, donors, and friends have invested years of research and development, and significant financial and other resources,
to bring this project to educators, students, clinicians, and patients. As a result, we offer a familiarity with the subject matter and a level of
commitment to the project that would be difficult for others to match.
Unlike many commercial curriculum distribution companies that market thousands of various educational products, we focus on equipping educators to teach
the science of human development and apply that science to improve human health. With our unique teaching tools, the anticipated help of alliance partners,
and our intent to donate the vast majority of our materials to schools, we believe our approach is the best one to fulfill our mission.
A.
Success will be measured in at least two separate categories and time frames:
1.) Short-Term – Usage and Assimilation
2.) Long-Term – Impact
Short-term usage and assimilation will be measured by the number of DVDs distributed, number of showings in educational
settings, website traffic, number of student viewers, number of teachers undergoing training, number
and types of professional endorsements, etc. We will also request that teachers using our materials provide
usage data, conduct student pre- and post-testing when possible, and complete and return student and
teacher surveys/feedback forms.
Long-term impact will be measured by comparing pre- and post-program public health data such as rates of
fetal alcohol syndrome and rates of substance abuse during pregnancy. In selected areas, we also plan to
employ questionnaires and surveys measuring developmental knowledge before and perhaps 3, 6, 12, and 24
months after materials are introduced into local schools and hospitals, etc.
A.
We provide educational institutions with age-appropriate teaching tools endorsed by experts, and equip teachers with training and support.
By donating materials whenever possible and by translating materials into numerous additional languages, we remove cost and language as barriers
to improving students’ health and health science education.
Today’s students are the most visual generation in history. Images communicate at a glance large amounts of information that is generally remembered
long after the accompanying spoken words are forgotten. Our DVD and website are heavily image-dependent and well-suited to this generation of students.
Today’s teachers need reliable, scientifically accurate teaching materials which can be readily applied in the classroom. Equipping educators with the
tools, unit/lesson plans, assessment tools, and confidence they need is the best way to give students an understanding of the science of health and human
development. Our Educators section offers turnkey curricular materials and teacher-training programming, all designed
to empower educators to successfully employ our program in the classroom.
A.
Our curricular materials do not address genetic diseases or the genetic engineering research underway to address these conditions. However, it is possible
that the increased public awareness about early human development education through our educational program may indirectly contribute to the cure of these
and other genetic diseases.
A.
FAS is the leading preventable cause of mental retardation. This lifelong condition can only occur if alcohol is consumed during pregnancy. Together, we can
sharply reduce or eradicate this fully preventable disease. We fully anticipate that the widespread implementation of our prenatal development education
program will be followed by a significant decrease in the incidence of FAS. We will do all we can toward this end through our own educational efforts and
through strategic alliances with other organizations dedicated to preventing this tragic condition.
A.
EHD’s Board of Directors has adopted a "Policy of Bioethical Neutrality." This policy prohibits EHD from taking positions on bioethical issues. We are committed
to presenting scientific facts for educational purposes in a neutral way.
A.
Teaching students about human prenatal development education has never been easier or more important.
Research increasingly reveals the great impact of embryonic and fetal health on lifelong health. There is an enormous gap between what students are taught
and what researchers actually know concerning human development. One major reason for this gap is the lack of high quality, scientifically accurate,
affordable educational materials that offer a realistic view of the developing embryo and fetus. Another major reason is that a large number of educators
were never exposed to this type of education in their own training, because it was not available to them.
Our products bridge the gap between research and education, equipping students with a better understanding of early human development and the impact of
behavior on lifelong health.
A.The Biology of Prenatal Development DVD is an award-winning 42-minute science
documentary intended for general audiences. It combines state-of-the-art imagery of the human embryo and fetus with development facts gleaned from the medical
literature. EHD recommends it for use in middle and high school health and biology courses, and introductory college- and graduate-level human embryology courses.
It is also appropriate for prenatal care education programs intended to reduce birth defects, improve maternal health, and eliminate the use of harmful substances
during pregnancy.
A.
Although we cannot predict the future responses of schools with certainty, we know that the educators who have seen our materials have enthusiastically endorsed
their use. We are confident that educators and clinicians will embrace our materials in large numbers. We believe our high quality, scientifically accurate
teaching tools accompanied by a comprehensive, interactive website with lesson plans, assessment tools, teacher training opportunities, and technical support
will attract a large following.
A.
EHD has no control over how much class time an individual teacher will choose to invest using our materials. Our plan is to provide a variety of unit/lesson
plan options for high school biology, high school health, and middle school health teachers. Within each category we will provide curricular programs
encompassing two, three, and five days. Teachers will have the freedom to use our materials as written, mix and match various activities, or simply supplement
their existing curriculum with The Biology of Prenatal Development DVD and our website.
A.
Our DVD and other curricular products are not being licensed to the general public or distributed for use by
individuals. Rather, licenses will be donated to educational institutions for use by educators and students. The fastest way to get our materials
into your local school is to donate money and/or help raise the money to fund distribution in your state. We
appreciate all who wish to speed distribution of our products and will apply designated funds toward product distribution to a specific state.
All research for this program was performed by a licensed, board-certified, physician.
The DVD program script is supported by detailed footnotes, appendices, and a bibliography, all of which are included on every DVD and the EHD website. This "open sourcing" allows independent verification of the facts and encourages further student and teacher investigation. We invite all educators and students to explore the research articles for themselves and welcome feedback from everyone.
This program was produced in conjunction with and endorsed by human prenatal development experts (medical school professors, clinicians, and researchers) across the country and as far away as London, England.
We have an unwavering commitment to scientific integrity and if any error is found or if new information becomes available, we will amend the website and future versions of the DVD to reflect the best science available.
A.
Funding continues to be the primary limiting factor in completing an interactive website, continuing DVD distribution, and conducting teacher training.
Your tax-deductible contribution will help make our program available to educational institutions across the country
and around the world.
A.The Biology of Prenatal Development DVD was released to thousands of schools in April 2005. Subsequent
distribution will depend on the availability of funds.
A.
Yes. A list of current endorsers and their comments are available online on our Endorsements page. We
anticipate rapid growth in the numbers of endorsers following the release of our DVD and completion of our website.
A.
We are committed to equipping educators, students, and clinicians with health-enhancing educational tools across the United States and around the
world. By using the 32 user-selectable subtitle tracks that current DVD technology allows on a single disc, and creating a PAL version to accommodate
video standards in many other countries, we can make our current program available to more than four billion people.
A.
We are doing our part to eliminate or reduce cost as a barrier to education. We are committed to providing as many of our products as possible free
of charge because we believe an appreciation of early human development should be an integral part of every student’s education and is necessary
to improve public health. Our donated or low-cost educational products will be available to every middle and high school student as funding allows.
This is made possible through the generous support of our donors.
A.
Yes. The DVD packages that were sent out to school libraries have been paid for by our generous
donors and there will be no additional charge to the schools.
A.
EHD is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public charity. All contributions are deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
A.
EHD does not share the identity of our donors or donor information with anyone. Even within EHD, donor information is available only on a need-to-know basis.
The controls over financial transactions are extremely important to the Board of Directors of The Endowment for Human Development and executive management of EHD. EHD has implemented appropriate security and controls to provide reasonable assurance over the collection and use of the public’s donations for their intended use by EHD in meeting its mission. To help insure that our financial assets are protected, we rely on documented, practiced, and ongoing controls to promote fiscal responsibility within EHD.
EHD maintains an active board of directors which thoroughly reviews the financial activities and financial statements of the organization.
EHD’s board treasurer and director of operations is a certified public accountant and has worked for one of the Big 4 accounting, audit and management consulting firms.
EHD maintains and reports its financial accounts in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).
EHD actively manages its accounts and maintains a state-of-the-art accounting and financial management system to record, track, and report the financial position and results of its operations.
EHD’s board of directors reviews and approves all significant accounting and financial policies established by management of the organization.
EHD has established internal financial and operational controls over the receipt and disbursement of financial resources. In addition, accounts are reviewed, monitored, and reconciled on at least a monthly basis.
EHD prepares monthly financial statements for review by its executive management and board of directors.
EHD maintains an insurance policy for its directors and officers of the organization.
A.
We seek alliances with corporations (medical imaging, pharmaceutical, health care, and baby product companies), state and federal government health and
education agencies, private foundations, and others. We hope the formation of appropriate alliances will allow cost savings, use existing distribution
networks, and speed acceptance by educators.
A.
People like you! We rely on educators, parents, business leaders, and everyone who values the health and future of our children. To learn more about how you
can help, please visit our support page and our Donation Options page.
