2022-23 Speaker Series: Upcoming Events

Reaching for Success: Empowering your Kids to be Happy, Healthy & Grateful in an Angst-Ridden World
with Devin C. Hughes

Thursday, March 9, 2023
6:30-8:30 p.m.
MHS Arts Center on 7

How do we raise optimistic, resilient, grateful children in a nervous world? How do we navigate the rough waters of the adolescent years with gratitude? Award winning speaker and author Devin C. Hughes explores these and other parenting questions with his trademark wit, warmth and humor.

reserve your free ticket here

Program Description:

Devin C. Hughes is a captivating speaker, author, and thought leader. His approach draws from the science of positive psychology, positive organizational research, appreciative inquiry, neuroscience and mindfulness. As Hughes explains, the last few decades have produced solid research about what kinds of parenting predict high achievement, social and emotional competence and a strong character. Pulling it off is quite another matter. Amidst good intentions, parents end up fighting with their kids about school achievement, disrespect, noncompliance, lazy work habits and all manner of household hassles. With touch screens as a constant source of entertainment and distraction, families have a tougher time than ever figuring out how to raise healthy children.

In this interactive session, Hughes shares the strategies for raising your child's personal optimism quotient, responding to challenges more effectively, and channeling this new mindset into tangible success. Attend and learn the real, tangible, and practical ways that you can apply immediately to get your child on the highway to true happiness at both home and school. Whether they are feeling overwhelmed and frustrated or just want to increase their happiness, they can learn how in just a few minutes a day! Drawing on what positive psychology, sociology and neuroscience have shown about confidence, gratitude and grit — and using his own chaotic and often hilarious real-world parenting adventures to demonstrate dos and don’ts in action — Hughes gives parents practical tips for creating families, schools and communities that nurture happy children including:

• Tips on how to change your kids’ attitude into gratitude
• Learn how the field of positive psychology has changed everything we thought we knew about finding happiness and success.
• Understand why happiness is a choice and not a genetic or environmental byproduct.
• Discover practical strategies for practicing happiness on a daily basis.
• The relationship between grit, perfectionism and success
• The spirit of kindness — how to raise kind, compassionate and loving children.

Hughes was named one of the top 200 thought leaders to follow in 2023 and is the author of 21 books. He received his BA from Colgate University and his MS from Southern New Hampshire University.

Seating is free, but please reserve your spot by RSVPing here.

Questions? Email communications@minnetonkaschools.org.
 

2022-23 Speaker Series: Past Events

Powerful Parenting: Empowering Your Kids to Thrive
with Ross Bernstein

Monday, October 10 from 6:30-8:30PM at MHS in the Arts Center

Program Description:
Aspiring to raise responsible, well-rounded kids who can overcome obstacles, harness creativity and generate momentum? Join us for a powerful evening of learning and inspiration with Ross Bernstein. 

The best-selling author of nearly 50 motivational sports-themed books, Ross is a peak-performance speaker who has keynoted conferences for all kinds of audiences on all seven continents. As a Minnesota-based journalist, Ross studies just what it is that makes the great ones great, and then he translates that to action steps — to help people to perform better and to think differently. There are reasons certain teams win consistently, whereas others don't, and Ross explains why.

His signature keynote, "The Champion's Code,” is all about leadership, modeling excellence and winning with integrity. In sports, it’s easy to get to the top … but it’s really hard to stay at the top, and that’s at the core of Ross’ message about what it takes to create a winning mindset — in our personal lives as well as our work lives. Inspired by the "Good to Great" concept of how the best companies are able to separate themselves from the rest of the pack through servant leadership, by creating a culture of excellence and by giving extraordinary customer service, Ross weaves poignant stories from the world of sports, along with fascinating case studies of leaders he has worked with around the world — and then shares best practice ideas on ways to become a more effective leader for ourselves for our colleagues and for our families and to ultimately build and model stronger relationships. You won’t want to miss this unique program!