The Healthy Petaluma District and Foundation, along with Blue Zones Project Petaluma, is partnering with the California nonprofits ScreenSense and Generation Remix to host a free, three-part Youth and Technology Speaker Series starting in mid-October.
The series, which will hold separate events for elementary, junior high and high school students, offers students as well as their parents and caregivers tools for navigating technology and social media, according to the local health district.
The series will cover topics ranging from “setting healthy cell phone boundaries” to helping students “think critically about technology as they gain independence.”
“Covering screen time, emotional well-being and real-world connections, the educational series provides actionable strategies for the whole family,” states the district’s announcement.
In addition to the elementary and middle school sessions for parents and youth, Healthy Petaluma and Generation Remix will present youth-led educational sessions at the Casa Grande, Petaluma and St. Vincent de Paul high school campuses.
The first of the events, set to take place from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Oct. 15 at the Blue Zones office at 8 4th St., Petaluma, will be for parents of elementary school students. That session will give advice on when and how to introduce technology to children, and attendees will “learn practical strategies for setting a healthy foundation for kids’ tech use from a young age.”
“Technology and social media are part of today’s world, but they bring real risks for young people,” said Healthy Petaluma CEO Ramona Faith in a statement.
Faith added, “Families and educators are asking for guidance in a safe space, because how kids use technology affects their health, well-being, and relationships. That’s why we’re committed to giving families practical strategies to find balance in our elementary and middle school sessions, and we’re also excited to bring these conversations to local high schools in a unique peer-to-peer format later this year.”
The second session, taking place Oct. 22 at the same time and location, will address middle school students and parents and “features strategies to help set healthier boundaries around social media and reduce potential harm, including ways for adults to work together to ease peer pressure.”
All are welcome to attend in person or view online. Light snacks and free childcare will be provided for in-person attendees, and Spanish translation services will be provided for online attendees.
To register for the elementary and middle school sessions, community members can go to tinyurl.com/HPP-Events.
Multiple sessions for high school students are set to take place on school campuses throughout the fall and winter months, organizers said.
“With support from Generation Remix, students will participate in youth-led assemblies and classroom discussions on campus during the school day,” according to the Healthy Petaluma announcement, which can be found at healthypetaluma.org.
Programming will address how social media impacts mental health, relationships and school life, while also offering practical tools for balancing screen time with real-world connections, the district said.
“By working together, parents, students, educators and community partners can ensure that technology enhances, rather than hinders, the well-being of Petaluma’s youth,” Faith stated. “This series is one step toward building healthier digital habits and stronger real-world connections.”