The Common Ground Speaker Series

Stanbridge Academy is proud to be associated with the Common Ground Speaker Series. Each school year, Common Ground presents distinguished speakers in education, parenting, and health at venues across the San Francisco Peninsula. Parents, faculty, and staff of member schools attend Common Ground events free of charge. Guests not affiliated with a member school may attend for a $20 fee at the door. Click below for details on this season's speakers and presentations.

The Common Ground Speaker Series has reached the conclusion of this year's 2018–2019 ​program.
Presenters for the 2019–2020 series will be published later this summer.

Speakers from the 2018–2019 Series

March 19 & 20: Michael Rich, MD, MPH and Manoush Zomorodi
​"Screensmart: Best Practices for Healthy Families"
Dr. Michael Rich and Manoush Zomorodi will join us for a conversation about digital media and its impact, both positive and negative, on our children and teens. They will offer research-based answers to questions about media use in the home and its impact on family health and child development. These media experts will also help us rethink our gadget use to thrive in today’s pervasive digital ecosystem. Rich, widely known as "The Mediatrician," is one of the nation’s top experts on children and media. He is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, Associate Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Harvard School of Public Health, and practices Adolescent Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital. Rich is the Founder and Director of the Center on Media and Child Health as well as a pediatrician, researcher, father and media aficionado. Zomorodi is co-founder of Stable Genius Productions, a media company with a mission to help people navigate personal and global change. Investigating how technology is transforming humanity is Zomorodi’s passion and expertise. In 2017, she wrote a book, Bored and Brilliant: How Spacing Out Can Unlock Your Most Creative Self and gave a TED Talk about surviving information overload and the “Attention Economy.”
​Jan. 29 & 30: Justine Fonte, MEd, MPH  •  "Changing Bodies, Changing Times"
Justine Fonte, a leading sexuality educator and social justice activist, will explore the skills children and teens need to develop healthy relationships in today’s world. Her practical advice on raising today’s digitally-connected kids will include the changing dynamics of love, desire and consent as well as the importance of talking frankly with our kids about the psychological and social impact of pornography. Fonte promotes
allyship, the lifelong process of building ethical relationships based on self-respect, trust, consistency and accountability. She encourages kids to exercise agency over their bodies and to embrace their authentic selves. Fonte is the Director of Health and Wellness at the Dalton School in New York City, where she teaches health and sex-positive programs for students, parents and faculty.
Oct. 23 & 24: Carl Honoré  •  "Don't Hurry, Be Happy: Parenting in a Fast-Paced World"
Common Ground is delighted to welcome Carl Honoré, a global guru of the fast-growing “Slow Movement,” to our stage from London. This award-winning author, broadcaster and TED speaker travels the world teaching individuals and organizations that the best way to power forward in today’s hypercompetitive, hurry-hurry world is often the radical act of willful deceleration. Honoré’s influential works include In Praise of Slowness, The Slow Fix, and Under Pressure. Host of the podcast, “The Slow Revolution,” his TED talk on the benefits of resisting today’s cult of speed has been viewed by more than 2.5 million people. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from a warm, insightful and often humorous speaker on ways to align your family’s clock, creating homes of greater joy, productivity, creativity and health.
Sept. 25 & 26: Vicki Hoefle  •  "Duct Tape Parenting: Step Back So Kids Can Step Up"
Vicki Hoefle, a no-nonsense parent coach and educator, mother of six and author of Duct Tape Parenting, challenges us to let our kids learn from their own mistakes – even if it takes a powerful adhesive to keep our mouths shut and hands firmly in our laps. She offers a new perspective on what it means to be an effective, engaged parent and how giving our children space to solve their own problems is key to self-regulation and self-confidence. Hoefle will also help us navigate the tricky terrain of co-parenting and provide resources and tools to help guide us towards collaborative decision making.
More information on this season's speakers, as well as details on previous Common Ground speakers, member schools, and information about the organization is available on the official Common Ground Speaker Series website.