GREENFIELD, MA (FRANKLIN COUNTY NOW) — Dr. Michael Rich will be the keynote speaker at the 11th Annual school summit hosted by the Children’s Advocacy Centers and Northwestern District Attorney’s Office.

This year’s theme will be “Schools in the Age of Digital Distraction” and educators from across Hampshire and Franklin counties will come together to talk about cultivating healthy relationships with technology. 

From the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office:

Annual school summit to focus on social media, technology, cell phones

The Northwestern District Attorney’s Office is joining with the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Hampshire and Franklin counties and North Quabbin to host the 11th Safe and Healthy School Summit on topics related to social media, cell phones, and digital health in schools.

“Schools in the Age of Digital Distraction” is the theme for the day-long conference planned for Oct. 8, from 8:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Greenfield Community College. The Summit is geared toward K-12 administrators, including superintendents, assistant superintendents, building principals, pupil services directors, teachers, para-educators, school resource officers, nurses, counselors and other vital members of school communities.

With keynote speakers and panel presentations, the day will explore the risks and benefits of cellphone and social media technology on the developing brain and the learning environment, community norms around tech use, digital media literacy, and how to promote healthy relationships with technology to foster engaged learners. Educators will share their experiences with designing and implementing bell-to- bell policies in schools.

Keynote speaker, Dr. Michael Rich, will deliver a presentation titled Raising Healthy, Smart, Kind Humans in the Age of Social Media and AI. Rich is a pediatrician and director of the Digital Wellness Lab at Children’s Hospital, founder of the Clinic for Interactive Media and Internet Disorders, and associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard University. He is also author of the book “The Mediatrician’s Guide: A Joyful Approach to Raising Healthy, Smart, Kind Kids in a Screen-Saturated World.”

The summit also features a talk “Mindfulness and Youth-Generated Approaches to Digital Pitfalls” presented by Susan Reynolds, M.Ed., academic technology expert and founder of Look Up, an organization dedicated to empowering young people to think critically about their relationships with technology. In addition, there will be panels featuring local educators and youth talking about technology, social media, and school culture and a presentation of local data about the impact of social media and cell phones, and policy implications.

The $35 registration cost includes light breakfast and lunch. Registration is open now and extends until Friday, Sept. 26. To register, go to this link or paste this URL into a browser:

https://cacfranklinnq.org/d/529/11th-Safe-and-Healthy-Schools-Summit

The first 100 registrants receive a free copy of Dr. Rich’s book “The Mediatrician’s Guide: A Joyful Approach to Raising Healthy, Smart, Kind Kids in a Screen-Saturated World.”