Raising MediaWise Kids
American children now spend over 44 hours a week in front of a screen - more than any other activity except sleeping. In this presentation, our speakers combine the latest discoveries in brain science with up-to-date research and data to explore the power and impact of video games, the Internet and television in shaping norms, attitudes and behaviors. We will pay particular attention to the impact of media on academic performance, health and wellness, and discuss how media create and nourish a "culture of disrespect." We will explore ways to take advantage of the wonderful opportunities media offer our kids while minimizing the danger and risk. Our speakers will explain why it is crucial to pay attention to the role of media in children's lives and share concrete strategies for communicating with and staying connected to kids in the media age.

How Do I Parent In An On-Line World?
MySpace, YouTube, AOL Instant Messenger, Google video, and Facebook. These are just a few of the new online sites that are wildly popular among young people. As kids gain Internet access on cell phones, portable gaming devices and more, they end up spending as much time in an online world as in the real one. In this presentation, our speakers discuss the powerful role of the Internet in young people's lives. We will describe the promise and peril of the Internet as we discuss new risks posed by an unregulated online environment, from online predation to addiction to cyberbullying. Finally, we will offer concrete strategies for helping kids take advantage of the amazing opportunities the Internet offers while minimizing danger and risk.

Are We Creating a Culture of Disrespect? Values and Attitudes in the Media
Whoever tells the stories defines the culture. That isn't new. What is new is that we have delegated more and more of the storytelling function to mass media. Some of the media take the art to new heights. Too many, however, specialize in dishing out heaping servings of violence, mayhem and degradation. In this presentation we will discuss the role of the media in creating and nourishing a "culture of disrespect" among young people. Combining the latest discoveries in brain science with cutting-edge research, we will discuss how media stories of disrespect, sex, and violence in television, video games and online affect our kids and what we can do to help our kids become MediaWise.

Why Do They Act That Way? A Survival Guide to the Adolescent Brain.
Adolescence has been described as a "normally abnormal stage of life." This workshop, based on Dr. David Walsh's best selling book, Why Do They Act That Way? A Survival Guide to the Adolescent Brain for You and Your Teen, explains exactly what happens to the adolescent brain on the path from childhood into adulthood. Our speakers show why moodiness, quickness to anger, willingness to take risks, miscommunication and other familiar teenage behavior are so common - all are linked to physical changes and growth in the adolescent brain. This workshop goes beyond the well-known issues of hormones and peer pressure. We will touch on the powerful role of media in teenagers' lives and show concerned adults how to use this information to understand, communicate with, and stay connected to youth.

Say Yes To No
There is an epidemic of Discipline Deficit Disorder sweeping the country. The symptoms include disrespect, impatience, a need for instant gratification, a sense of entitlement, self centeredness, and out of control consumerism. This workshop, based on Dr. David Walsh's new book, NO: Why Kids-of All Ages-Need to Hear It and Ways Parents Can Say It, explains how the "Yes culture" undermines our children's self discipline, a trait that is the key ingredient for children's success and happiness. Our speakers offer down-to-earth advice that can be put into practice immediately and humorous anecdotes to illustrate central points, and give parents real, effective strategies for helping their children grow up happy and healthy. Audiences leave with the reminder that "No" is not the destination, it is the road to "Yes."

Screen Violence and Real World Vioence: What's the Connection?
Whoever tells the stories defines the culture. That's not new; it's been true for thousands of years. What is new is that the traditional storytellers have been pushed aside and replaced by virtual story tellers on the myriad of screens that dominate kids' lives today. While some screen stories inform, educate and even inspire our youth, too many don't. Too many movies, video games, TV programs, music videos, and You Tube hits dish out heaping servings of violence, disrespect and degradation. Dr. David Walsh, founder of the National Institute on Media and the Family will explain the effects of screen violence and what we can do about it.