Education Series

Birds & Bees Talks: What, When & How (PK-5)
with Amy Lang, MA

January 12, 2021

12:00-1:15pm

The birds and the bees can be tough to talk about but with a little information, some careful thought and planning it’s possible to have comfortable and effective conversations that help your kids make good decisions.

Parents of PK-5th graders will learn:

• Why you need to start the conversation way earlier than you think
• Who has the most influence over your kids’ decision making
• The number one way to keep your kids healthy & safe
• The best way to start the conversations
• Why knowing your values is key to talking to your kids
• Tips for making the talks easy, fun and actually happen

About Amy:

A sexual health educator for over 20 years, Amy Lang, MA helps parents of all beliefs talk with kids of any age about the birds and the bees. She is the author of the award winning book Birds + Bees + YOUR Kids – A Guide to Sharing Your Beliefs About Sexuality, Love, and Relationships and Dating Smarts: What Every Teen Needs to Know to Date, Relate or Wait. Amy’s talks, books, online solution center and podcast helps parents learn how to talk to their kids about this important and awkward part of life. Amy is still married to her first husband and they are getting the hang of parenting their teenage son. She lives in Seattle, WA. You can learn more about Amy and her work at BirdsAndBeesAndKids.com.

Registration

Register Here

How “The Talk” Can Keep Your Kids Safer Online
with Amy Lang, MA

January 21, 2021

5:00-6:15pm

Your child will be online — sometimes safely and, frankly, sometimes not. This will influence how they think and learn about sex, love and relationships. In this class you will learn how to make sure you (and not the internet!) are their go-to birds and the bees expert!

Parents will learn:

• How to start and continue the birds and bees talks based on their values
• How to age-appropriately talk to kids and avoid TMI
• Simple, low-tech things they can do to keep kids safer
• The connection between typical development and the choices they make as they get older
• Why talking about the birds and the bees can keep them safer in the real and the digital world!

This workshop is appropriate for parents of children of all ages.

About Amy:

A sexual health educator for over 20 years, Amy Lang, MA helps parents of all beliefs talk with kids of any age about the birds and the bees. She is the author of the award winning book Birds + Bees + YOUR Kids – A Guide to Sharing Your Beliefs About Sexuality, Love, and Relationships and Dating Smarts: What Every Teen Needs to Know to Date, Relate or Wait. Amy’s talks, books, online solution center and podcast helps parents learn how to talk to their kids about this important and awkward part of life. Amy is still married to her first husband and they are getting the hang of parenting their teenage son. She lives in Seattle, WA. You can learn more about Amy and her work at BirdsAndBeesAndKids.com.

Registration

Register Here

Cascades Academy is proud to partner with the Nancy R. Chandler Visiting Scholar Program of the COCC Foundation and the COCC Office of Diversity and Inclusion on their 2021 Season of Nonviolence events. Check back soon for more details!

How to Have Conversations about Race with Young Children

with Madeleine Rogin

December 2, 2020

12:00-1:15pm

Why is it important to initiate conversations about race and racism with our children? What is developmentally appropriate for children to know as they age? How can we talk about these topics in a way that empowers all children to act toward greater justice and equity? Grounded in personal story and current research, this workshop offers concrete strategies, resources, and an opportunity for questions and discussion.

Workshop for parents/caregivers of PK-5th graders will include:

• Presentation on Madeleine’s journey as a white parent of biracial children, in pursuit of finding developmentally appropriate ways to talk about race and racism.
• Current research on factors contributing to silence around the topic, and problems that result from this silence.
• Discussions of roadblocks that arise, and how to move through them.
• Time to practice, using discussion prompts and real world examples.
• Parent and children’s book lists, and guides for discussions.

About Madeleine:

A Change Leader for Ashoka’s “Start Empathy” Initiative and Changemaker Schools Network, Madeleine Rogin has been an educator of young children for over 15 years. She currently teaches kindergarten at Prospect Sierra School in El Cerrito, CA. Madeleine received national recognition for developing the Peaceful Changemaker Curriculum as a way of teaching about Dr. King and social justice to young children. Her book on talking about race and racism with young children is due out in 2021.

Panel Discussion: Understanding Food Insecurity and Homelessness in Central Oregon

November 12, 2020

5:00-6:00pm

As we kick off a drive to support our local partners at Bethlehem Inn and NeighborImpact, we invite you to join a panel discussion and Q&A with three local organizations working to support people in our community struggling with food insecurity and homelessness. Panelists will include representatives from Thrive Central Oregon, Bethlehem Inn, and NeighborImpact.

Donations of non-perishable food and supplies will be accepted on the Cascades Academy campus from November 12-20: 

The Hearty Child: A Peaceful and Powerful Approach to Parenting in a Time of Uncertainty and Challenge

with Dave Mochel

November 17, 2020

5:00-6:15pm

How do we negotiate the stress and anxiety that we and our kids are facing? Drawing upon modern scientific research and enduring wisdom, we will look at how to support growth and connection in the presence of emotional discomfort. The strategies presented will apply to the wellbeing of parents and children alike. Participants will come away with specific practices and language to use on a daily basis when confronted by challenge and uncertainty.

About Dave:

For more than thirty years Dave has been studying and teaching the principles and practices for living, working, and leading peacefully and powerfully. After a twenty-year career teaching neuroscience, human development, and mindfulness in independent schools, he founded Applied Attention Coaching and Consulting. He now helps executives, athletes, educators, parents, and students focus their attention and energy where it matters most. A two-time cancer survivor, Dave has served as a lecturer at Stanford’s School of Health and Human Performance and is the author of Good Life Practice: A Quick Start Guide to Mindful Self-Regulation. His clients have included Bank of America, The Federal Reserve Bank, Subaru, Cottage Health, and The University of Wisconsin.  Dave has degrees in biology and geology from Williams College, a Master’s in Humanistic and Multicultural Education from SUNY New Paltz, and he has completed a clinical internship in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. You can watch his TED Talk here.