On Friday, September 26, 2025, seven-year-old Shawn ‘The Creative Kid’ Letford did something amazing. He stood on stage at the United Nations Brain Days event and welcomed Brian Capital leaders from all over the world!
Most kids might say the best part of their trip was visiting the Statue of Liberty, which he did. But for Shawn, the best part was giving his speech.
“I wasn’t nervous. I was so excited!” Shawn said afterward.
He even started with a joke, asking the crowd if they were ready for a puppet show. (Some people really thought there might be one!) But then he told them they were there to learn about something even more important: the brain.
Shawn explained that brain health starts early, even before birth and that kids need tools to keep their brains strong.
He shared the Seven Pillars for Building Brain Capital 🧠:
1. Brain Foods 🍎
2. Brain Sleep 😴
3. Brain Mental Stimulation (learning new things!) 📚
4. Brain Movement 🏃
5. Brain Social Interaction (friends and family) 🤝
6. Brain Peace (managing stress) ☮️
7. Brain Arts 🎨🎶
Shawn also told the leaders about his own big wins:
* Helping the cities of Buckeye and Phoenix create Brain Capital Awareness Months.
* Getting his hometown of Avondale to announce the first-ever World Brain Day Proclamation on July 22.
* Visiting the Center for BrainHealth, where he read his book My Brain, My Brain, My Beautiful Brain and interviewed the executive director, Dr. Sandy Chapman about why kids’ brain health matters.
By the end, Shawn showed everyone that kids can be powerful actionists too. His simple yet melodic voice helped bring the data and research to life.
Thanks to Mr. Torrey, Ms. Shani, Coach Hite and Ms. Meghan who funded Shawn’s trip to New York.
Also, thanks to the European Brain Council, Brain Capital Alliance, and many UNGA80 partners, Shawn’s message is reaching the world:
👉 Take care of your brain. 👉 Teach kids early. 👉 Build Brain Capital for the future.
Shawn proved that young voices can make a big difference. 🌟👦🏽
