Speaking

It is no surprise to anyone living through the COVID-19 pandemic that kids and adults alike have experienced a great deal of stress. Whether uncertainty, upset routines, economic insecurity or lack of social support, the list of stressors has been long and varied. As kids start slowly returning to activities, it is essential to help kids distinguish between the kind of worry that keeps us safe and the kind of worry that keeps us from living. Learn more about what stress and worry look like in kids and teens and ways to respond that build your family’s resilience and wellbeing instead of eroding it.

You don’t have to go far on the Internet these days to find tips for how to “stay productive” and ideas for how to motivate kids despite changing routines and stress. The reality on the ground though is that productivity and high motivation can be difficult to find during times of uncertainty. Understanding the science of motivation can help us keep our eyes on how to nurture it in our kids – not just for the sake of getting more done but for everyone’s mental health and wellbeing.

Our reliance on screens has increased as school, socializing, and work moved online this year. As we increasingly find opportunities to log off, what did we learn from a year online? Get key insights from the research that will help you identify what digital habits are worth holding on to long after the pandemic is over and which we want to let go of. This strengths-based workshop will help parents move beyond a discussion of whether screen time is “good” or “bad” and towards practical strategies for digital wellbeing. **Best for parents of kids ages 7-18

Parents of young children are getting conflicting advice about the impact of media on developing minds. On one hand companies promise that media can boost their children’s intelligence while on the other America’s pediatricians urge parents to limit screen time in the early years. In this workshop, Erin Walsh explores the latest research on the power and impact of screen time and helps parents and caregivers identify ways to use technology and media to support children’s learning and development. **Best for parents of kids ages 0-6

Setting limits is always a challenging part of parenting. During times of stress, it can be especially hard to know when to be flexible and when to hold the line. Learn more about why kids and teens need boundaries and how to be both flexible and firm when your kids need it most. Parents will learn how to clarify their limits and follow through with consistency and care.

Teenagers have experienced a uniquely difficult time in the last year. COVID-19 is a developmental mismatch for what teenagers crave: Peers, independence, and purpose. This strain on parent-teen relationships makes it easy to fall into negative ruts and power struggles. Using brain science and stories, parents will learn three common beliefs about teenagers that get in the way of connection and the three beliefs that can help get your relationship back on track.

COVID-19, racial violence, and economic insecurity are causing increasing levels of stress and anxiety in students and staff alike. Learn more about the impact of stress on the learning brain and why “too much” stress hijacks academic achievement and why “too little” stress can make students more anxious and risk averse. Learn what educators can do to protect students from the ill effects of stress and nurture practical strategies for resilience.

Our reliance on screens has increased as school, socializing, and work move online. One of the most precious and valuable resources that students have today is their attention. Explore the brain science of attention, memory and multitasking in the context of a digitally connected world. Learn more about the distraction economy, the seeking brain, and practical strategies for building focus as children shift their attention between homework, YouTube, texting, and each other.

You don’t have to go far on the Internet these days to find tips for how to “stay productive” during the pandemic and ideas for how to motivate students despite changing routines and high uncertainty. The reality on the ground though is that productivity and high motivation become more elusive as the pandemic wears on. Understanding the science of motivation can help us keep our eyes on how to nurture it in our students – not just for the sake of getting more done but for everyone’s mental health and wellbeing.

Is Facebook depression real? Is social media use contributing to teen anxiety? Or is social media actually connecting and inspiring us? In this interactive and energizing presentation, our guest speakers cut through conflicting messages to explain how technology is impacting mental health. You will leave understanding the key ingredients for digital wellbeing as well as practical tools and strategies to reduce risks and nurture digital strengths.

The youngest among us are no strangers to digital technology. One-third of children under three years of age go online daily and 28% of children under two have televisions in their bedrooms. Families are getting conflicting advice about the impact of these technologies– on one hand companies promise that media can boost their children’s intelligence while on the other America’s pediatricians urge parents to limit screen time in the early years.

In this workshop, our speakers explore the latest research on the power and impact of screen time in early childhood and shares the ingredients that young children need to thrive in a world dominated by screens. Using stories and warm humor, our speakers help parents or professionals identify ways to use technology and media to support children’s learning and development.

While news headlines suggest that media and technology are either good or bad for children and youth – evidence suggests that they are powerful. The good or bad depends upon how we use them. In this interactive and energizing presentation, our speakers use brain science, stories, and humor to explain how technology is changing the ways that kids grow up, socialize, and make decisions.

Talking to kids and teens about online safety is important, but not sufficient, for preparing them to thrive in a digitally connected world. Our speakers will help you reclaim your role as media mentor in children’s lives. Media mentors build digital citizenship skills, leap across digital divides, and model digital wellbeing. This workshop can be tailored to includes the following topics:

• Racism and hate speech online
• The protective power of media production
• Cyberbullying and sexting
• Over-use and addiction
• Focus/attention/multitasking
• Monitoring and trust

One of the most precious and valuable resources that children and teens have today is their attention. In this energizing and engaging presentation, our guest speakers explore the brain science of attention, memory and multitasking in the context of a digitally connected world. Learn more about the distraction economy, the seeking brain, and practical strategies for building focus as children shift their attention between homework, YouTube, texting, and each other.

Based on the best selling book Why Do They Act That Way? A Survival Guide to the Adolescent Brain, our speakers explain exactly what happens to the adolescent brain on the path from childhood into adulthood. Revealing the latest scientific findings in easy-to-understand terms, our guest speakers show why moodiness, risk-taking, and miscommunication are so common – all are linked to physical changes and growth in the adolescent brain. Using this information, you will learn three ingredients for working with or parenting adolescents in ways that build on their strengths and gives them the support they need to grow into capable and caring adults.

As a culture, we are obsessed with stress. You can buy stress busters, stress exterminators, and stress eradicators. Yet stress is a part of life. New experiences, transitions, real and perceived danger, academic pressure, and unknowns can all evoke feelings of anxiety in children and youth.

We know that too much stress impacts health and shapes the brain’s developing architecture. Yet learning how to handle appropriate stress is a healthy and normal part of development. Kids who haven’t had practice handling stress or taking responsibility for their actions can become more anxious and risk averse. By overprotecting them, we inadvertently make them more vulnerable.

Using warmth, stories, science, and humor, our speakers will explain the impact of stress on the brain and share practical strategies for  resilience.

• Executive function development
• Exploring sources of stress including racism, sexism, and other -isms
• Protective power of relationships and systems change

In many ways, children today are growing up in a world with more expansive understandings of gender than generations before. At the same time, studies show that rigid gender roles continue to be engrained in our expectations, language, and culture. This isn’t without consequence for kids, as decades of research link belief in rigid feminine and masculine norms to lower health, education, and economic outcomes. Many researchers think about gender norms as a “gateway belief system” for children, meaning that when a child internalizes them it negatively impacts other areas of their life as well. Children begin learning these norms right away, influenced not only by family but also by cultural institutions, media, advertising, political coverage, and social observation.

So how can parents and educators tackle rigid gender norms and create a different future for our kids? We translate the latest research in child development into easy-to-understand language to help families see how children “learn gender” and internalize gender bias. Using warmth, interaction, and humor, our speakers help families and educators identify doable and concrete strategies for disrupting rigid gender norms at home and at school.

It isn’t easy to figure out how to set limits with our kids. This workshop explores why they are critical to children’s healthy development and identify practical strategies for setting boundaries in ways that help kids manage big feelings, build self control, and understand their impact on others. Using stories, warmth, and humor, our guest speakers will facilitate a session where everyone leaves with more practical tools in their parenting toolkit.

How is addiction connected to the brain’s primary mission of keeping us alive? How does addiction “hijack” the brain? Why do addicts continue to seek the drug even as the rewards diminish? How can knowledge of the brain help recovery? Dr. Dave Walsh will explore these questions and more as he connects the dots between cutting edge neuroscience and chemical dependency treatment.

Recent discoveries in brain science are revolutionizing many fields, including education. Our guest speakers connect the dots between brain science and the classroom to show how educators can improve students’ concentration, boost their energy, and enhance retention and creativity. Special topics include:

• Stress and the brain
• Executive function
• Memory, attention, and focus
• Digital media/technology and the learning brain

We have experience creating workshops to help support the specific needs of parents, school systems, and community educators. Contact us with your needs.