Save Dec. 10 for the 2008 Preteen Summit
We hope you can join us on Wednesday, Dec. 10, for the 2008 Preteen Summit: How Schools and Communities Can Support Preteen Emotional Health. Registration opens Tuesday, Oct. 7 (we will let you know by e-mail when registration is available). Confirmed speakers include:

  • Former Surgeon General David Satcher, MD, PhD, who helped launch the Preteen Alliance five years ago, will return to underscore the importance of continued attention to preteens.
  • Stanford School of Education lecturer Denise Clark Pope, PhD, who will speak about the special emotional health needs of preteens as they experience increased pressure from school and extra curricular activities. Read Pope's Preteen Alliance column on student stress>>
  • Roger Weissberg, PhD, from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Joseph Durlak, PhD, from Loyola University, Chicago, who will present findings from a new study on effective strategies to promote the social, emotional, and academic success of children in elementary and middle school.

Visit http://summit.lpfch.org to learn more about the 2008 Preteen Summit>>


How to Assess and Promote Positive Self-Perceptions Among Youth
Children tend to experience a decline in positive views about themselves in early adolescence, and negative self-perceptions are associated with problems such as drug use and depression. This Child Trends brief examines the views that children and adolescents have of themselves; provides information on how to assess these self-perceptions; and suggests ways to foster positive self-perception in early adolescents. The brief describes the signs of low self-worth in early adolescence, and offers techniques to help combat negative views among youth.
http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2008_08_20_RB_SelfConcept.pdf

Study: Family Hardships Linked to Early Drinking
Children who experience abuse, a divorce in the family, or other hardships, such as living with a mentally ill family member, were more likely than their peers to start drinking before age 15, a new study suggests. The researchers noted that drinking early, especially as a way to manage stress, could shape a person's drinking patterns for life.
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSCOL14763620080811?
feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews&pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0




Annual Stressed Out Students Conference
Academic stress -- and how schools and parents can reduce it -- will be the focus of this conference sponsored by the Stanford University School of Education, the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, and the California Endowment. Friday, Sept. 26, in Palo Alto.
http://www.kidscal.org/event/205006

Home Alone Safety Class
The American Red Cross offers this class to help children ages 11 to 13 be aware of potential dangers when they are home alone. The class includes information about fire safety, phone and Internet safety, and how to get help. Sunday, Oct. 5, in Palo Alto.
http://www.kidscal.org/event/204333

Parenting Classes for Parents of School-Age Children
This seven-week course sponsored by Almaden Valley Counseling Service will focus on building self-esteem and responsibility among children, and examine effective discipline strategies. Wednesday, Oct. 22, in San Jose.
http://www.kidscal.org/event/203930

Find more preteen events on kidscal.org: http://www.kidscal.org
Add your events to kidscal.org: http://www.lpfch.org/cgi-bin/calendar/admin.cgi

If you have information about preteen events or activities for the next newsletter, please send it to preteens@lpfch.org.

The Preteen Alliance promotes the emotional and behavioral health of preteens by using information to raise public awareness and inform regional action. The Alliance has more than 1,300 members, and is guided by a Bay Area Advisory Group. For more information, see http://www.preteenalliance.org/about.html.

Also on preteenalliance.org:

  • News and Research About Preteens: Find recent news and research commissioned by the foundation regarding preteens, as well as links to other relevant research.
  • Resources and Services: Preteenalliance.org's resources page links to websites and services on topics affecting preteens.

If you have questions about The Alliance or want to include information in the next edition of The Preteen Post, reply to this e-mail or call us at (650) 724-5778.

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