Ridgewood School Series Focuses on Teen Wellbeing

RIDGEWOOD, NJ – A three-day event focused on the science of teen sleep, and the ways that communities can help teenagers improve their sleep and health will kick off the Wellbeing Speaker Series Spring at Ridgewood this year.

“The Community Outreach Program aims to foster a strong relationship between the district, our families, and the community by providing opportunities to come together to learn about trending issues related to the academic, social and emotional development of today's youth,” the district said in a press release.

The first presentation, “A Perfect Storm: Sleep in Adolescents” on Wednesday 7 p.m. on April 27, will be led by sleep expert Judith Owens, MD, MPH virtually on Zoom. Director of Sleep Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital, she will describe normal sleep development during adolescence and outline the consequences of sleep deficiency.

The second program, “Cultural Competency” on Monday at 7 p.m. on May 16, with Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee, will be held at George Washington Middle School. Drawing on her work to empower young girls to become women leaders at Seattle Girls’ School, she will discuss how to diversify community through an anti-bias mission.

The final virtual presentation, “Healthy Sleep, Healthy Teens,” on Wednesday, at 7 p.m. on June 1 will be led by sleep specialists Heather Turgeon, MFT and Julie Wright, MFT.

This is the sixth year of Ridgewood’s Wellbeing Speaker Series. All events are free and open to the public.