When George H.W. Bush declared the 1990s the ‘decade of the brain,’ early childhood development programs received a major cash infusion. The initiative also funded researchers who discovered that a child’s early experiences actually have a physiological impact on the brain. In response, states across the country began a huge push for pre-kindergarten education. Now, the majority of American children are now enrolled in such programs.

This short animation by Nadja Oertelt is part of The Atlantic’s Next America: Early Childhood project, which is supported by grants from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Heising-Simons Foundation.