William Damon: Cultivating Your Child’s Moral Compass: Empathy, Ethics and the Path to Purpose

Tuesday,February 23, 2010,  Central School, 620 Greenwood Ave. Glencoe IL

Co-sponsored by FAN and the Glencoe PTO.

audio of the talk (mp3 format, 50 minutes in length, 29 MB, will stream or right-click and "save as" to download)

audio of the question/answer session (mp3 format, 35 minutes in length, 30 MB, will stream or right-click and "save as" to download)

audio of the discussion with educators (mp3 format, 1 hour in length, 35 MB, will stream or right-click and "save as" to download)

Web links:

1. A one-hour video interview with Dr. Damon in June 2008 on his book The Path to Purpose, in conjunction with the Templeton Foundation.   http://www.templeton.org/newsroom/book_forums/bf_20080709.asp#

2. Video of lecture given in April 2009 at Middlesex Academy  http://www.williamdamon.com/speaking/

3. His Stanford School of Education faculty page (CV, bio, papers, etc.):  http://ed.stanford.edu/suse/faculty/displayRecord.php?suid=wdamon

4. His Stanford Center on Adolescence website:  http://www.stanford.edu/group/adolescent.ctr/index.html

5. His personal website:  http://www.williamdamon.com/about/

6. The GoodWork Project website (with Howard Gardner and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi)  http://www.goodworkproject.org/

A must-see event! In a companion presentation to Howard Gardner’s electrifying October events, FAN (Family Awareness Network) and Glencoe PTO are proud to present William Damon, Ph.D., Professor of Education at Stanford University, Director of the Stanford Center on Adolescence, Senior Fellow at The Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace, and Dr. Gardner’s co-founder (with Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi) of the GoodWork Project. A developmental psychologist, Dr. Damon has spent decades researching, lecturing and writing on moral and character development through the lifespan, with a focus on children and adolescents and what helps them thrive and flourish, and is widely-considered to be the leading authority on the subject in the US today. Among other books, Dr. Damon is the author of the critical bestsellers, The Moral Child: Nurturing Children’s Natural Moral Growth and 2008’s The Path to Purpose: Helping Our Children Find Their Calling in Life. If you were inspired by Dr. Gardner’s message this past fall, come and hear his long-time friend and brilliant colleague’s engaging and deeply humane take on one of the most over-looked aspects of development. Dr. Damon will hold an afternoon workshop for New Trier Township teachers/administrators prior to the evening lecture. CPDUs available for both events; book sale/signing at evening event. FAN and Glencoe PTO will also host a facilitated discussion the following day, Wed., Feb. 24, from 9:30-11:00 AM, at Winnetka Community House, 620 Lincoln Ave., Winnetka.

Faculty Workshop with William Damon  Tuesday, February 23, 2010, 3:45 pm, William Damon will talk with public and private school teachers and administrators working in New Trier Township.  The event is free.  CPDU's will be available.  RSVP to glencoepto.org, click "Parent Education" 

DamonFacultyFlier.pdf

Parent Discussion Group: Cultivating Your Child’s Moral Compass: Empathy, Ethics and the Path to Purpose

Wednesday, February 24,  9:30-11:00 AM, Winnetka Community House, 620 Lincoln Ave., Winnetka, 60093 (to RSVP go to Glencoe PTO’s website  and click on “Parent Education.”)

Join with parents from across New Trier Township for a lively facilitated discussion group following William Damon’s Tuesday, Feb. 23, presentation.  This discussion will be led by well-regarded local professionals, including representatives from the fields of journalism, sports, social work, and the public sector. Dr. Damon, the Stanford University Graduate School of Education professor who will speak about his two ground-breaking works The Moral Child and Path to Purpose the previous evening, will provide activating questions and observations for each group to consider and discuss. This is a wonderful opportunity for parents to engage in a dialogue with each other, with expert guidance. Attendance will be capped at 30, and reservations will be necessary, so don’t wait until the last minute to sign up. Sponsored by the Family Awareness Network of New Trier Township (FAN) and Glencoe PTO.

Biography:

One of the world’s leading scholars of human development, William Damon is Professor of Education at Stanford University and the Director of the Stanford Center on Adolescence..

By focusing his work on the positive aspects of “growing up” rather than on the severe behavioral problems of adolescents, Damon has put himself on the forefront of the emerging positive psychology movement in the United States. Damon speaks regularly  about contemporary trends in child development and has written widely about personal development and moral commitment at all ages of life.

His current research explores how people develop character and a sense of purpose in their work, family, and community relationships. He examines how young people can approach their careers with a focus on purpose, imagination, and high standards of excellence.

His 1995 book, Greater Expectations: Overcoming the Culture of Indulgence in Our Homes and Schools helped create a societal push to increase standards for achievement and service and was the recipient of the prestigious Parents’ Choice® award. Damon’s other books written for general audiences include The Moral Child, Some Do Care, The Youth Charter and Good Work. He is founding editor of the well-known series, New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development and editor in chief of the definitive Handbook of Child Psychology, fifth and sixth editions.

(extracted from his full biography)

FAN Press Release for William Damon Lecture (pdf)

FAN Press Release for William Damon Discussion Group (pdf)