D86 Community Speaker Series to Welcome Author of 'Age of Opportunity'

Submitted by Hinsdale Township High School District 86.

Hinsdale, IL - Hinsdale Township High School District 86 today announced that registration is open for the second installment of the acclaimed Community Speaker Series, featuring Dr. Laurence Steinberg.

Dr. Steinberg will discuss the teenage brain’s malleability and vulnerability, the elongation of adolescence as a developmental stage, and related implications for parents and educators of young people.

The series is presented in conjunction with the District 81 Foundation, Hinsdale Central High School PTO and The Community House.

Dr. Steinberg will speak on Wednesday, Jan. 27 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Thursday, Jan. 28 from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Both presentations will be held at The Community House, 425 W. Eighth St., Hinsdale. Presentations are free and all are invited. Registration is required at d181foundation.org.

“It is a tremendous opportunity to join our partners in this effort to support our students as they grow from childhood through adolescence,” said District 86 Assistant Superintendent for Academics Pam Bylsma. “As educators and as parents, it is important for us to incorporate the latest scientific evidence about the development of the adolescent brain into our social-emotional tool belts. Using this knowledge will help us bring these topics into authentic conversations with one another that will also help us refine our best practices in the schools.”

Laurence Steinberg is a Distinguished University Professor of Psychology at Temple University in Philadelphia. He is the author of more than 350 articles and essays on growth and development during the teenage years, and the author or editor of 17 books from Adolescence, the leading college textbook on adolescent development, to numerous books for parents, such as Age of Opportunity. Dr. Steinberg’s work has impacted law enforcement and juvenile justice in areas such as graduated licensing for drivers, public policy regarding criminal law, and important learning about the uniqueness of the teenage brain, the sequence of its maturation and the implications that holds for risky behavior, learning, and adaptability.

The third installment will feature the documentary film The Mask You Live In by Jennifer Siebel Newsom on February 24 and 25. New York Times money columnist and author ofThe Opposite of Spoiled Ron Lieber will complete the 2015-2016 series with presentations on April 13 and 14. For more information on the entire series, click here.