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UPDATE: The conference is currently SOLD OUT. Please call us at 781-449-4010 x101 or x102 in order to placed on the waiting list.
Numerous studies are finding that stress, anxiety, and mental health issues are on the rise in children and adults. The American Psychological Association's (APA) 2017 Stress in America™ survey found that two-thirds of adults are stressed about the future. The survey also found that Millennials reported higher average stress than before and that teens are the most stressed people in America, with 27 percent reporting "extreme stress" during the school year. Additionally, a 2016 report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that 46 percent of American teachers feel high daily stress. Fortunately, new brain and psychological research is showing that meditation and social-emotional learning (SEL) programs can dramatically reduce stress and improve wellbeing and achievement. Discover the benefits of mindfulness meditation, class management, and SEL in schools; strategies to reduce student stress and behavioral problems and raise resilience; and ways to reduce teacher burnout and boost retention.
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Renowned Neuroscientist and Biologist; MacArthur "Genius" Fellow; John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn Professor of Biological Sciences, Neurology, and Neurological Sciences, Department of Biology, School of Humanities and Sciences, Stanford University; Research Associate, Institute of Primate Research, National Museum of Kenya; Author, “Double-Edged Swords in the Biology of Conflict” (2018, Frontiers in Psychology), Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst (2017), A Primate’s Memoir (2007), and Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers (2004, 3rd Edition)
Sociologist; Senior Fellow, Greater Good Science Center, University of California, Berkeley; Author, The New Adolescence: Raising Happy and Successful Teens in an Age of Anxiety and Distraction (Forthcoming, 2020), The Sweet Spot: How to Find Your Groove at Home and Work (2015), and Raising Happiness: 10 Simple Steps for More Joyful Kids and Happier Parents (2011)
William James and Vilas Research Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry; Director of the Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior and the Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience; Founder & Director of the Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Renowned for his scientific studies on emotions, wellbeing, and the brain; Friend and Confidante of the Dalai Lama; Named one of “The Most Influential People in the World” by Time Magazine in 2006; Co-Author, “Emotional Well-Being: What Is It and Why It Matters” (2023, Affective Science), “COVID-19 Pandemic Effects on College Student Mental Health” (2023, American College Health), Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body (2007) and The Emotional Life of Your Brain (2012); Co-Editor, The Mind’s Own Physician (2012)
Owner/Founder, Due Season Press and Educational Services; Former Education Content Creator, BrainPOP; Former Classroom Teacher; Author, Unshakeable: 20 Ways to Enjoy Teaching Every Day...No Matter What (2015), Awakened: Change Your Mindset to Transform Your Teaching (2011) and The Cornerstone: Classroom Management That Makes Teaching More Effective, Efficient and Enjoyable (2009)
Senior Fellow, Greater Good Science Center, University of California, Berkeley; Founder, Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom; Author, Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength, and Happiness (2018), Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm and Confidence (2013), and Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love and Wisdom (2009)
Faculty, Harvard Medical School (part-time) and Consultant, McLean Hospital; Author or Co-Author of 17 books including Raising Resilient Children (2001); The Power of Resilience (2004); Handbook of Resilience in Children (2012); Play Therapy Interventions to Enhance Resilience (2015); and Reflections on Mortality: Insights into Meaningful Living (2017)
Professor, Department of Psychology, George Mason University; Director, Well-Being Laboratory; Awarded 2013 Distinguished Early Career Researcher Award by the American Psychological Association; Author, The Art of Insubordination (2022), The Upside of Your Darkside (2017), Mindfulness, Acceptance, and Positive Psychology (2013), Designing Positive Psychology (2010), Curious? (2009); Co-Author, "Social Anxiety Is Associated with Similar Emotional Impairments During Digital and Face-to-Face Communication in Daily Life" (2020, PsyArXiv), "Gratitude Across the Life-Span: Age Differences and Links to Subjective Well-being" (2019, Positive Psychology), "When Empathy Matters: The Role of Sex and Empathy in Close Friendships" (2017, Personality)
Professor of Psychology, College of Science, San Diego State University; Researcher on teens and Generation Z; Author, Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents - and What They Mean for America's Future (Forthcoming 2023), iGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy -- and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood (2017), The Narcissism Epidemic (2009), and Generation Me (2006); Co-Author, “Associations Between Adolescent Depression and Self-harm Behaviors and Screen Media Use in a Nationally Representative Time-diary Study” (2021, Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology)
Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Utah Medical School; Staff Member, University Neuropsychiatric Institute; Clinical Director, Neurology Learning and Behavior Center in Salt Lake City; Co-Author, Learning Disabilities and Challenging Behaviors (2015, 3rd Edition), The Handbook of Resilience in Children (2012, 2nd Edition), The Power of Resilience (2004), and Raising Resilient Children (2002)
Faculty, Harvard Medical School (part-time) and Consultant, McLean Hospital; Author or Co-Author of 17 books including Raising Resilient Children (2001); The Power of Resilience (2004); Handbook of Resilience in Children (2012); Play Therapy Interventions to Enhance Resilience (2015); and Reflections on Mortality: Insights into Meaningful Living (2017)
Co-Director, Neuroscience Research Institute; Harriman Professor of Neuroscience Research, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara; Co-Founder, Learning & the Brain; Author, Outsmarting Alzheimer's: What You Can Do to Reduce Your Risk (2017); Co-Author, The Alzheimer's Solution: How Today's Care is Failing Millions and How We Can Do Better (2010)
Family Physician; Founder of AskDoctorG.com; Winner of the Alpha Omega Alpha Volunteer Clinical Faculty Award as a Clinical Associate Professor for the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Resilience and Youth Development Expert featured on the shows TODAY, Good Morning America, and Rachael Ray; Author, From Stressed to Resilient: The Guide to Handle More and Feel It Less (2022), Get the Behavior You Want... Without Being the Parent You Hate! (2014), Teach Responsibility: Empower Kids With Great Work Ethic (2013), Teach Respect: That's My Kid (2013), and Teaching Resilience: Raising Kids Who Can Launch (2012)
Associate Professor of Psychology, Baruch College; Faculty, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York; Author, “Transforming classroom culture through the use of student allies” (2006, Network News: Newsletter of the Minority Student Achievement Network)
Alfred E. Mirsky Professor, Neuroscience and Behavior; Head, Harold and Margaret Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Rockefeller University; Co-Author, The End of Stress as We Know It (2002)
William James and Vilas Research Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry; Director of the Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior and the Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience; Founder & Director of the Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Renowned for his scientific studies on emotions, wellbeing, and the brain; Friend and Confidante of the Dalai Lama; Named one of “The Most Influential People in the World” by Time Magazine in 2006; Co-Author, “Emotional Well-Being: What Is It and Why It Matters” (2023, Affective Science), “COVID-19 Pandemic Effects on College Student Mental Health” (2023, American College Health), Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body (2007) and The Emotional Life of Your Brain (2012); Co-Editor, The Mind’s Own Physician (2012)
Foundations Fund Professor of Psychiatry; Professor of the Child Study Center and of Neuroscience; Director, Yale Interdisciplinary Stress Center; Chief, Psychology Section in Psychiatry; Co-Director of Education, Center of Clinical Investigation, Yale University School of Medicine; Co-Author, "Dynamic Neural Activity During Stress Signals Resilient Coping" (2016, PNAS)
Senior Fellow, Greater Good Science Center, University of California, Berkeley; Founder, Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom; Author, Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength, and Happiness (2018), Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm and Confidence (2013), and Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love and Wisdom (2009)
Professor, Department of Psychology, George Mason University; Director, Well-Being Laboratory; Awarded 2013 Distinguished Early Career Researcher Award by the American Psychological Association; Author, The Art of Insubordination (2022), The Upside of Your Darkside (2017), Mindfulness, Acceptance, and Positive Psychology (2013), Designing Positive Psychology (2010), Curious? (2009); Co-Author, "Social Anxiety Is Associated with Similar Emotional Impairments During Digital and Face-to-Face Communication in Daily Life" (2020, PsyArXiv), "Gratitude Across the Life-Span: Age Differences and Links to Subjective Well-being" (2019, Positive Psychology), "When Empathy Matters: The Role of Sex and Empathy in Close Friendships" (2017, Personality)
Developmental Pediatrician; Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, New York Medical College; Author, How Children Thrive: The Practical Science of Raising Independent, Resilient, and Happy Kids (2018), Mindful Parenting for ADHD: A Guide to Cultivating Calm, Reducing Stress, and Helping Children Thrive (2015), and The Family ADHD Solution (2011)
Renowned Neuroscientist and Biologist; MacArthur "Genius" Fellow; John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn Professor of Biological Sciences, Neurology, and Neurological Sciences, Department of Biology, School of Humanities and Sciences, Stanford University; Research Associate, Institute of Primate Research, National Museum of Kenya; Author, “Double-Edged Swords in the Biology of Conflict” (2018, Frontiers in Psychology), Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst (2017), A Primate’s Memoir (2007), and Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers (2004, 3rd Edition)
Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School; Director of School-Based Programs, Cambridge Health Alliance; Co-Author, The Behavior Code: A Practical Guide to Understanding and Teaching the Most Challenging Students (2012)
Professional Development Consultant; Graduate Course Instructor, State University of New York at New Paltz; Co-Author, Transformative Teaching: Changing Today's Classrooms Culturally, Academically, and Emotionally (2015); Author, Motivating the Unmotivated (2008), Dealing With Difficult Parents: Powerful Strategies for Parent/Teacher Interactions (2005), and Respectful Discipline: Your Guide to Effective Classroom Management (2003)
Assistant Professor, Human Early Learning Partnership, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia; Co-Author, "Social and Emotional Learning: Recent Research and Practical Strategies to Promote Social and Emotional Competence in Schools" (2017, Handbook of Social Behavior and Skills in Children)
Professor, Teacher Leadership Program; Director of Outreach and Professional Development, Saint Mary’s College of California; Author, 200+ Proven Strategies for Teaching Reading, Grades K-8 (2016), New Inclusion: Differentiated Strategies to Engage ALL Students (2013) and More Than 100 Brain-Friendly Tools and Strategies for Literacy Instruction (2008)
Director of Education, Quiet Revolution; Former Educator and History Department Chair at New York City schools and universities such as Nightingale-Bamford, Dalton, Berkeley-Carroll, NYU, and The Cooper Union
Associate Professor, Curry School of Education; Director, The Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning, University of Virginia; Co-Author, "Understanding How Children's Engagement and Teachers' Interactions Combine to Predict School Readiness" (2013, Journal of Applied Development Psychology) and "Measuring Effective Teacher-Student Interactions from a Student Perspective" (2015, Journal of Early Adolescence)
Former Teacher and Faculty Member; Founder Partner, Leaders and Learners Consulting; Board Member, Social-Emotional Learning Alliance for Massachusetts; Co-Author, Teaching the Whole Teen: Everyday Practices That Promote Success and Resilience in School and Life (2016) and The Advisory Guide: Designing and Implementing Effective Advisory Programs for Secondary Schools (2004)
Licensed Professional Counselor; NYS-Certified School Counselor; Director of Student Life, Riverdale Country School; Author, Executive Functions at Home and School: Six Skills Young Learners Need to Succeed (2017)
Clinical Psychologist; Former Professor of Psychology, Alliant International University; Blogger, "The Mindful Self-Express," Psychology Today; Author, The Stress-Proof Brain: Master Your Emotional Response to Stress Using Mindfulness and Neuroplasticity (2017)
Marriage and Family Therapists; Founder, Mindful Education Institute; Author, The Mindful Education Workbook: Lessons for Teaching Mindfulness to Students (2016) and The Way for Mindful Education: Cultivating Well-Being in Teachers and Students (2014)
Director, Center for Mindfulness and Human Potential; Professor, Psychological and Brain Sciences; Primary Investigator, Memory Emotion Thought Awareness (META) Lab, University of California, Santa Barbara; Co-Author, "Mindfulness in Education: Enhancing Academic Achievement and Student Well-Being by Reducing Mind-Wandering" (2017, Mindfulness in Social Psychology) and "Mindfulness Training Improves Working Memory Capacity and GRE Performance While Reducing Mind Wandering" (2013, Psychological Science)
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Division of General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, The Center for Mind-Body Research, Johns Hopkins Medical School; Co-Author, "The Role of Mindfulness in Reducing the Adverse Effects of Childhood Stress and Trauma" (2017, Children), "Mindfulness-Based Approaches for Children and Youth" (2016, Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Care), and "School-Based Mindfulness Instruction" (2016, Pediatrics)
Founding Director, thinkSRSD; Adjunct Professor, Columbia University; Former Learning Specialist, United Nations International School; Co-Author, Releasing Writers: Evidence-Based Strategies for Developing Self-Regulated Writers (2020) and Using Formative Assessment to Differentiate Middle School Literacy Instruction (2012); Editor, Differentiated Instruction in Literacy, Math, and Science (2011)
Master Teacher; CIO, Infinite Horizons; Co-Author, Transformative Teaching: Changing Today's Classrooms Culturally, Academically, and Emotionally (2015), Developing Growth Mindsets in the Inspiring Classroom (2011), Inspiring Elementary Learners (2008), Inspiring Middle and Secondary Learners (2007), and Differentiation for Real Classrooms (2009)
Research Professor, Curry School of Education, University of Virginia; Senior Research Scientist, Devereux Center for Resilient Children; Author, Helping Children Learn (2011, 2nd Edition); Co-Author, Interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorder: Translating Science to Practice (2017), The Handbook of Executive Functioning (2014), and “The School Neuropsychology of ADHD: Theory, Assessment, and Intervention” (2008, Psychology in the School)
Founder, L.E.A.P. Program; School Resource Officer, King Phillip Middle School; Detective, Norfolk Police Department
Behavioral Health Clinician and Educator; Lead Faculty for Behavioral Science; Associate Teaching Professor of Psychology, Northeastern University; Author, "How We Find Resilience During Impossible Times" (2020, Psychology Today), Mentalligence: A New Psychology of Thinking (2018), and RESET: Make the Most of Your Stress: Your 24-7 Plan for Well-Being (2014)
aka "The Brain Lady"; International Expert on ADHD and Mindfulness; Author, Mindfulness for Teens with ADHD: A Skill-Building Workbook to Help You Focus and Succeed (2017) and Mindfulness Skills for Kids and Teens (2014)
Developmental Pediatrician; Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, New York Medical College; Author, How Children Thrive: The Practical Science of Raising Independent, Resilient, and Happy Kids (2018), Mindful Parenting for ADHD: A Guide to Cultivating Calm, Reducing Stress, and Helping Children Thrive (2015), and The Family ADHD Solution (2011)
Professor of Psychology, College of Science, San Diego State University; Researcher on teens and Generation Z; Author, Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents - and What They Mean for America's Future (Forthcoming 2023), iGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy -- and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood (2017), The Narcissism Epidemic (2009), and Generation Me (2006); Co-Author, “Associations Between Adolescent Depression and Self-harm Behaviors and Screen Media Use in a Nationally Representative Time-diary Study” (2021, Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology)
Clinical Neuropsychologist, Founder, The Stixrud Group; Faculty Member, Children’s National Medical Center; Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, George Washington University, whose work has been featured in media outlets such as NPR, CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Times of London, The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News and World Report, Time Magazine, Scientific American, Business Week, Barron's, New York Magazine, and Vogue; Co-Author, What Do You Say?: How to Talk With Kids to Build Motivation, Stress Tolerance, and a Happy Home (2021), The Self-Driven Child (2019), and The Thriving Child: The Science Behind Reducing Stress and Nurturing Independence (2018)
Post-Doctoral Research Associate, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas, Dallas; Former Teacher; Former Lab Coordinator and Teaching Assistant, The Duke Endowment's Resilience Project, Davidson University; Co-Author, "Concurrent and Subsequent Associations Between Daily Digital Technology Use and High-Risk Adolescents' Mental Health Systems" (2017, Child Development) and "The Risks and Rewards of Being an Adolescent in the Digital Age" (2014, American Psychological Association)
Senior Research Scientist, Rory Meyers College of Nursing; Associate Director, Transdisciplinary Research Methods Core, Center for Drug Use and HIV Research (CDUHR), New York University; Co-Author, "A Multi-Method Exploratory Study of Stress, Coping, and Substance Use Among High School Youth in Private Schools" (2015, Frontiers in Psychology)
Associate Professor of Psychology, Department of Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology; Principal Investigator, Social Stress Lab, University of Rochester; Co-Author, "Reappraising Stress Arousal Improves Performance and Reduces Evaluation Anxiety in Classroom Exam Situations" (2016, Social Psychological and Personality Science)
Leadership, Technology, Immersive Storytelling, and Curriculum Consultant; Founder, MindWise; Former English and Humanities Teacher; Communications Specialist, Swiss Society of Virtual and Augmented Reality; Author, Mindful by Design (Forthcoming), which focuses on learning, neuroscience, storytelling, designer mindsets, mindfulness and creativity
Research Director, Principal Investigator, Project Zero; Co-Director, "Digital Dilemmas" and "Reimaging Digital Wellness" Projects; Lecturer, Harvard Graduate School of Education; Digital Learning Research Partner, Common Sense Media; Co-Author, Behind Their Screens: What Teens Are Facing (And Adults Are Missing) (2022), "15 School-Based Initiatives Promoting Digital Citizenship and Healthy Digital Media Use" (2022, Handbook of Adolescent Digital Media Use and Mental Health) and "Shelter in Place, Connect Online: Trending TikTok Content During the Early Days of the US COVID-19 Pandemic" (2021, Journal of Adolescent Health)
Neuroscientist; Anxiety Researcher; Director, Emotion Regulation Lab; Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience; Hunter College of the City University of New York, who conducts NIH-funded studies of the neural bases of teen anxiety, youth risk for suicide, the impact of technology on social-emotional well-being, and novel digital therapeutics for mental health; Consutant for the NYC Department of Education; Advisor to the digital wellness organization National Day of Unplugging; Author, Future Tense: Why Anxiety Is Good for You (Even Though It Feels Bad) (2022); Co-Author, "Longitudinal Change in Adolescent Depression and Anxiety Symptoms From Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic" (2022, Journal of Research of Adolescence)
Sociologist; Senior Fellow, Greater Good Science Center, University of California, Berkeley; Author, The New Adolescence: Raising Happy and Successful Teens in an Age of Anxiety and Distraction (Forthcoming, 2020), The Sweet Spot: How to Find Your Groove at Home and Work (2015), and Raising Happiness: 10 Simple Steps for More Joyful Kids and Happier Parents (2011)
Bennett Pierce Professor of Caring and Compassion; Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, College of Health and Human Development, Pennsylvania State University; Co-Author, "Examining Ways That a Mindfulness-Based Intervention Reduces Stress in Public School Teachers: A Mixed-Methods Study" (2016, Mindfulness); Co-Editor, Handbook of Mindfulness in Education (2016)
Associate Professor of Education, Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education, Curry School of Education, University of Virginia; Author, Mindfulness for Teachers: Simple Skills for Peace and Productivity in the Classroom (2015)
Owner/Founder, Due Season Press and Educational Services; Former Education Content Creator, BrainPOP; Former Classroom Teacher; Author, Unshakeable: 20 Ways to Enjoy Teaching Every Day...No Matter What (2015), Awakened: Change Your Mindset to Transform Your Teaching (2011) and The Cornerstone: Classroom Management That Makes Teaching More Effective, Efficient and Enjoyable (2009)
Assistant Professor, Educational Leadership Program, Lehigh University; Co-Author, "Burnout Contagion: Is It Due to Early Career Teachers' Social Networks or Organizational Exposure?" (2017, Teaching and Teacher Education)
Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Utah Medical School; Staff Member, University Neuropsychiatric Institute; Clinical Director, Neurology Learning and Behavior Center in Salt Lake City; Co-Author, Learning Disabilities and Challenging Behaviors (2015, 3rd Edition), The Handbook of Resilience in Children (2012, 2nd Edition), The Power of Resilience (2004), and Raising Resilient Children (2002)
Assistant Professor, Human Early Learning Partnership, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia; Co-Author, "Social and Emotional Learning: Recent Research and Practical Strategies to Promote Social and Emotional Competence in Schools" (2017, Handbook of Social Behavior and Skills in Children)