This video challenges the widespread belief that poverty and early life adversity “damage” children’s brains. Drawing on developmental neuroscience, we explain how differences in brain structure and function reflect adaptation to unequal environments—not fixed deficits or diminished potential. Educators will learn how experience-dependent brain plasticity allows children to adapt to unpredictability and stress, why deficit-based narratives are harmful, and how supportive relationships, predictable routines, and language-rich classrooms can promote resilience and learning. By shifting from a deficit lens to an equity lens, this video empowers educators to see themselves as active agents in shaping brain development and opportunity.