Parent Education Events

Get Support Through Parent Education

We know parenting can be life’s toughest job and we’re here to support you in this role. With the Parent Education Network (PEN), we bring expert speakers to campus to help you navigate these years of your child’s growth and development. Please join us this year at these parent ed events!

Overview of the Fall Parent Education Network (PEN) Speaker Series:

Guided by this year’s theme of reconnection, the Parent Education Network (PEN) committee has curated a series of speakers who will address ways to reintroduce purpose and passion into the classroom, our personal lives, and the community. The series begins with Ross Wehner from the World Leadership School, who will discuss the importance of purpose-driven learning, the concept of “purpose parenting,” and how purpose-driven children are better learners and stress managers. Next, Lanna Gollyhorn, a psychotherapist specializing in family and adolescent therapy, will provide parents and students with the tools to help live intentional, authentic, and inspired lives. Lastly, Lisa Damour will reflect on the impact of a pandemic, how that has affected the community, and how we reconnect after such a long period of navigating COVID disruptions. Please join us on campus or virtually for the PEN events listed below:

Ross Wehner: Part 1 of a Purpose and Reconnection Series

PEN invites you to a talk with Ross Wehner, founder of the World Leadership School

Event Details: Tuesday, October 26, Reception 6:00-6:30 p.m., Presentation 6:30-8:00 p.m. Fries Theater

We live in a time when our approach to educating and raising children is being challenged by a global pandemic, political polarization, changing workforce, social media, and a constant stream of new technologies. It’s no wonder that our children are the most anxious generation of young people in recorded history. Our old approaches are no longer working. Schools and parents need to change, but how?

World Leadership School, based in Boulder, Colorado, works with independent schools around the world to shift the learning paradigm and bring greater purpose to learning. We ask the question: “what if the purpose of school were purpose?” In other words, what would school look like if it were designed for human thriving?

This 60-minute workshop (with 30 minutes of Q&A) will explore the theory and science of purpose as it relates to learning. We will understand why purpose-driven children are better stress managers and deeper learners. We will explore how schools around the world are shifting to Purpose Learning, or the idea of learning as thinking, feeling, and doing. We will explore how the Common Application, the college admissions platform, is shifting to measure for purpose (standardized test scores are less important, meaningful essay prompts are more important). Finally, we will talk about Purpose Parenting, or how parents can support children in their journey towards greater meaning in learning and life.

About the Speaker:

Ross Wehner is a writer, teacher, and social entrepreneur. He is the Founder of the World Leadership School, which partners with K-12 schools to reimagine learning through global travel, virtual coaching, and other forms of professional learning. Ross also co-founded TeachUNITED, a growing non-profit that works with rural schools around the globe to reduce inequality through education. Both organizations are based in Colorado. Ross lives in Boulder, Colorado, with his wife and two children.

Lana Gollyhorn: Part 2 of a Purpose and Reconnection Series

PEN invites you to a talk with Denver-based psychotherapist Lana Gollyhorn.

Event Details: Wednesday, November 10, Anschutz Commons, Presentation 6:30-8:00 p.m.

Childhood and adolescence are critical times. During these formative years, students explore, participate in, and commit to activities and endeavors that shape who they are and what they become. Sometimes, however, outside influences, like the pressure to build a college application or a viable career path pushes kids to maintain activities they no longer like or may even hate. When students find themselves trapped in activities or groups that are inauthentic and leave them uninspired, the consequences can be significant for their success and wellbeing. But how can you tell the difference between a normal ‘rough patch’ and a genuinely inauthentic activity?

This program will provide parents and students with the perspective and tools to help them live intentional, authentic, and inspired lives. In this parent seminar, learn to help your child navigate the labyrinth of activities and interests to discover authentic pursuits. Learn how to identify the difference between the resistance of normal adversity and a true conflict between their interests and activities. Explore methods of encouraging your children that hold them accountable yet don’t trap them in activities they no longer enjoy.

About the Speaker:

Lana received an M.A. in clinical psychology from the University of Colorado at Denver, a program focused on empirically derived approaches to psychotherapy and counseling. She is currently a private practice psychotherapist and clinical consultant specializing in therapy and counseling for adolescents, families, and children ages seven and up. In addition to her 17 years of professional experience, her approach to developing healthy, self-actualized adolescents was the theme of her 2021 TEDxVail talk, “Childhood Is Not A Checklist,” where she provided students with an actionable “authenticity assessment” to navigate the labyrinth of decisions they are confronted with in childhood and adolescence.

Lisa Damour: Part 3 of a Purpose and Reconnection Series

The Parent Education Network (PEN) at Graland invites you to a virtual talk with Lisa Damour, child psychologist, best-selling author and NY Times columnist.

Event Details: Thursday, January 27, 2022, Presentation 7 p.m. via Zoom

We are excited to welcome back Dr. Lisa Damour who spoke to our community exactly one year ago. This January will mark two years that we have been living in the midst of a global pandemic and the half-way point of the school year. In this virtual session, Dr. Damour will reflect on the impact of two years of a pandemic, how that has affected the community, and how we reconnect after such a protracted period of time navigating COVID times.

About the Speaker:

Dr. Lisa Damour is recognized as a thought leader by the American Psychological Association and is a best-selling author, monthly New York Times columnist, and regular contributor to CBS News. She maintains a private practice, is a Senior Advisor to the Schubert Center for Child Studies at Case Western Reserve University, and serves as the Executive Director of Laurel School’s Center for Research on Girls.

Dr. Damour blends years of experience with the latest research developments to provide sound, practical guidance to children and adolescents as well as their parents, teachers, and advocates. She also co-hosts the popular podcast Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Parenting.