It is the year for growth at Hills Grammar as we launch The Learning Centre focused on providing thought-provoking learning opportunities and blue-sky thinking for adults interested in the development, education and wellbeing of young people in our ever changing and challenging world.
Core to The Learning Centre program is the Success Series of signature presentations for parents and educators in the Hills District. Each session is tailored to consider ways in which attendees can prepare and support young people to navigate a world of complexity, technology and opportunity, with creativity, resilience, and a love of learning.
Hills Grammar Principal, Karen Yager, launched the Success Series in February, with a thought-provoking presentation “Preparing Young People to Meet the Demands of a Complex Future with its Wicked Problems”. A local Hills District psychologist who attended said the information was key to understanding more about young people and how they interact with their world.
The second session of the series encouraged participants to consider the timing in which young people are given the freedom of their first mobile phone. Delivered by Mark Yeowell, CEO of Language Disorder Australia, the presentation considered research relating to the impact of early access to mobile phones for tweens. The interactive question and answer session explored some of the key considerations parents must assess including social media, gaming, face-to-face versus online communication, digital distraction, wellbeing issues, privacy, risk, opportunities and parenting a digital tween.
May 30 will see Hills Grammar Director of Learning and Teaching Pre K to 12, Mr Geoff Gates, draw on his 25 year career in education to delve into Deeper Water, Deeper Learning, how Hills Grammar works to prepare young people for the challenges and opportunities of the future.
Dr Michael Anderson and Dr Kristy Goodwin, round out the Success Series for 2023. Dr Anderson is Professor of Creativity and Arts Education in the Sydney School of Education and Social Work at The University of Sydney. An internationally recognised educational leader in school transformation processes, arts, and creativity education he will consider ways that parents can help meet the educational and developmental needs of young people to not only survive but thrive through the development of cognitive interpersonal and intrapersonal dispositions.
Well-known author Dr Kristy Goodwin will present the final Success Series event. The workshop equips families to support their child’s digital wellbeing with research-based, yet realistic advice about setting up their own family’s digital guardrails.