Join Let Grow & The Balance Project for this exciting FAMILY event (adults and kids 3-18) focused on helping families and communities empower the next generation. While adults hear from renowned speaker, independence advocate, author and Anxious Generation advisor, Lenore Skenazy, kids will be engaged in an exciting skill-building activity. Then, we'll have a family "working lunch" where we'll enjoy a very special meal and have a child-appropriate discussion on balancing independence and safety + families will collaborate to create an Independence Plan for each child for the upcoming year. After lunch, there will be an optional Blue Sky Ideation session that will crowdsource ways to create new community norms to encourage childhood independence. The output of this discussion will inform TBP X Let Grow's Community Kit and Community norms across the country. We expect high demand and space is limited - register now to reserve your space!

GUEST SPEAKER: BRUCE E. QUINN INSTRUCTOR FOR LSU’S NATIONAL CENTER FOR BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING ACADEMY OF COUNTER-TERRORIST EDUCATION

In this thought-provoking read, Lenore Skenazy provides her perspective on the importance of childhood independence — how giving children freedom to explore, take risks, make mistakes and encounter "struggles with a small s" will help them grow into confident, capable, resilient adults. A parent's dream! We'll work through how to strike the right balance between independence and safety to set our sweet kiddos up for success (and to calm our personal parental anxieties around this!) A virtual option will be provided closer to the event!

Moving from Elementary to Middle or Middle to High School - or another school-specific milestone - represents a time to take a pause and consider how to handle this "Rite of Passage" with your kids in terms of giving them increased independence and ensuring a healthy relationship with technology. How do we want to mindfully approach these transition years to balance independence, safety and a healthy, intentional age-appropriate relationship with technology?