ASU convenes inaugural summit to launch transformative Year One (Y1) Initiative

On May 3, 2025, ASU internal stakeholders gathered at the first Year One (Y1) Initiative summit. The Y1 Initiative addresses key challenges in early childhood development, education, and caregiver well-being during the crucial first year of life. This period is the foundation for lifelong health and cognitive outcomes. 

Children, families, and communities are facing growing and unprecedented stressors that threaten their health and well-being. Socio-economic disparities, limited access to healthcare, and a lack of critical resources leave many families without the support they need. Left unaddressed, these early-life stressors can have lasting consequences, impacting not only a child’s development but also family stability and broader community health.

By leveraging ASU’s interdisciplinary expertise, technological innovation, and focus on equity, 

Y1 focuses on eliminating these barriers by designing innovative, scalable solutions that prioritize equity and accessibility for families and communities.

The Initiative is a transformative collaboration between experts in health, education, and technology through a network of projects focused on systemic change. They use ASU’s Principled Innovation framework to facilitate interdisciplinary research that bridges knowledge gaps in early childhood development and builds cross-sector partnerships with industry leaders, community organizations, and policymakers.

This summit was the first in a series of conferences, designed to bring together and amplify existing efforts across the university to position ASU as a leader at the intersection of health, technology, education, and human development. 

The event aligned internal stakeholders around a unified vision for Y1 with clear priorities and measurable goals. A key objective of the summit was to elevate and integrate existing ASU projects, assets, and areas of expertise in maternal and infant health, education, and technology. This process helped identify current gaps and new opportunities, laying a strong foundation for future partnerships and fundraising efforts.

Led by co-chairs Judith Karshmer and Michael Yudell, the summit culminated in a workshop where ASU faculty, and leaders from health, education, engineering, technology, and policy disciplines collaborated to identify existing institutional strengths to shape the next phase of the Y1 Initiative. This convening ensured that all efforts will pave the way for meaningful outcomes that benefit underserved families, empower health and education professionals, inform policymakers, and advance student and research excellence at ASU.

As the next phase of the Y1 initiative comes to fruition, partners from inside and outside ASU are working together to align resources, expertise, and innovation in support of the initiative’s long-term goals. Through bold innovations and strategic action, the progression of Y1 positions ASU as a global leader driving societal change at the intersection of public health, technology, and early childhood development and education. Rooted in ASU’s charter and its commitment to inclusion, equitable outcomes, and public health innovation, Y1 integrates the University’s leadership in technology, interdisciplinary research, and collaborative partnerships to redefine health, education, and caregiving systems.