Childhood Unbound: Saving our Kids' Best Selves TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2011 • 7:30 PM Speaker: Ron Taffel, Ph.D. Rye Middle School Multipurpose Room Ron Taffel, Ph.D. Dr. Ron Taffel, one of the country's most sought-after child-rearing experts, draws on decades of counseling experience and extensive conversations with parents nationwide to offer an original and inspiring analysis of the distinctive challenges parents face in raising children today. He also introduces a breakthrough approach for guiding kids -- from children to teens -- in ways that bring out the best in both kids and parents in these twenty-first-century times.

Raising Resilient Teenagers: How to be an Effective Parent in a Culture of Anxiety and Entitlement THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2011 • 7:30 PM Speaker: Wendy Mogel Rye Country Day School Performing Arts Center Dr. Wendy Mogel Dr. Wendy Mogel is a nationally known clinical psychologist, author and public speaker. Publisher’s Weekly gave her New York Times best-selling parenting book The Blessing of a Skinned Knee a starred review, saying, “Impassioned, lyrical and eminently practical, this volume is a real treasure.”

Adults and Children in Organized Youth Sports; Who Wins, Who Loses? THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2011 • 7:30 PM Speaker: Bob Bigelow Rye Middle School Multipurpose Room Bob Bigelow Bob Bigelow is one of the foremost youth sports speakers in the country.  He advocates fully meeting the needs of children as the top priority in youth sports programs, and provides new approaches for positive change in youth sports. Bob is a former NBA first round draft choice and played four years for the Kansas City Kings, Boston Celtics, and San Diego Clippers. He played collegiately at the University of Pennsylvania for Hall of Fame Coach Chuck Daly. He has devoted several thousand hours researching and lecturing about organized youth sports and its effects on children - and adults. Since 1993, he has conducted over 2500 talks and clinics worldwide. Bob has also been selected as one of the “100 Most Influential Sports Educators” by the Institute for International Sport at the Univ. of Rhode Island

Reducing Environmental Toxins and their Impact on Children WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2012 • 7:00 PM Speaker: Rhonda Sherwood Rye Neck High School Performing Arts Center Rhonda Sherwood Rhonda Sherwood is Vice Chairman, Mount Sinai Children's Environmental Health Center

Emotional and Mental Wellness Among Teens and Young Adults WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2012 • Time TBD Speaker: Jordan Burnham Location TBD Jordan Burnham Jordan Burnham is a public speaker who discusses mental health disorders that affect so many of us. He shares his story of struggling with depression and hiding his internal pain during high school. In high school, Jordan had everything to live for. He was popular, had good grades, and was a star athlete. But as the pressures mounted, Jordan attempted to take his own life during his senior year of high school. Jordan's miraculous survival propelled him to begin to deal with his depression and learn healthier coping mechanisms. Today, Jordan's physical body is still recovering, but he has found emotional wellness through counseling, and a strong support system. His program educates students about depression, suicide, and coping mechanisms for young adults

Reputation Management: Our Kids’ Digital Footprints TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 2012 • 7:30 PM Speaker: Katie Koestner Rye High School Performing Arts Center Katie Koestner At age 18, after being raped on a date with a fellow student at the College of William and Mary, Katie Koestner spoke out nationally and publicly, breaking a long national silence on the most under-reported crime in America. She appeared on the cover of TIME magazine’s date rape issue, giving a name and a face to a crime that is recognized as a critical problem currently facing America’s students.