What is the “no barriers mindset?” Are you preparing your child for a successful adulthood? How can failure be a “gift?” What should parents know about adolescent sexuality?
Can you raise children who are “the opposite of spoiled?” How can we communicate effectively with people who are different from us?
These are just some of the topics members of the Colorado Academy community can explore with local and national experts during the 2018-2019 SPEAK (Series for Parent Education about Kids) lectures.
On Sept. 26, blind adventurer and CA parent Erik Weihenmayer will launch this year’s series by sharing the tools and insights he uses to tackle seemingly impossible goals and convert challenges into success. While his latest book is about kayaking the entire 277-miles of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, Weihenmayer spent part of the summer leading students trekking in Nepal.
In October, best-selling author Jessica Lahey will discuss her breakthrough manifesto, The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn To Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed. Lahey and a previous CA SPEAK lecturer, Julie Lythcott-Haims, were recently interviewed in a piece on National Public Radio about what schools and parents can do to promote a culture of independence and achievement.
Worried that your child might not have the skills to launch a career after college? Don’t miss Jeff Selingo, author of There is Life After College, which has been called a “wise, practical guide that will help every student, no matter their major or degree, find real employment—and give their parents some peace of mind.”
The new year brings a series of great speakers including “Your Money” columnist for the New York Times, Ron Lieber. He is the author of The Opposite of Spoiled: Raising Kids Who Are Grounded, Generous, and Smart About Money, which was an instant bestseller when it was released in 2015. He also has written a book for young entrepreneurs, and he co-authored a guidebook about the best entry-level jobs in the U.S. coming in 2020.
Curious about what it’s like to work for the Washington Post reporting on the individuals enmeshed in some of the most divisive issues of our time? Register for our annual SPEAK Out community event to hear CA alumnus and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Eli Saslow talk about his career and his soon-to-be published book, Rising out of Hatred, the story of an heir to America’s white nationalist movement who comes to question the ideology he helped spread.
Rounding out the winter presentations in February is renowned author Paul Tough who will contradict some common misconceptions about raising successful children. Do test scores really predict future success? How are “nature” and “nurture” intertwined? In what ways do childhood stresses modify life successes? Tough is the author of Helping Children Succeed: What Works and Why and How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character.
Check out these and other presentations by viewing the complete SPEAK schedule. Make sure you RSVP for events you plan to attend. Though there is no cost to attend, your timely RSVP will allow us to plan for seating and refreshments.