Attending college has long been a rite of passage for millions of teens. But as perceptions of higher education have changed, that well-worn path has become more and more stressful for students and their families. New York Times best-selling author, Jeff Selingo, reveals how to assemble a meaningful list of colleges that will inspire students’ futures but that can also lower the stress of the application process.

Selingo’s new book, Dream School, suggests that the name of the school matters less than you think, explains why some families are choosing value over prestige, and describes how to make sure the degree really pays off.

Our students feel intense pressure to achieve and often feel overwhelmed by school, parents and peers. Parents, no matter how much we love and want to support our kids, are often at a loss with how to truly communicate and guide them without inflicting more pressure. Dr Rona Hu, inspired by her days as a resident at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) where faculty members used theatrical vignettes to help young doctors learn how to interact with difficult patients, has created a theater troupe comprised mostly of medical professionals who write and perform skits to help parents and students navigate challenging emotions and relationships. Come watch, learn and have fun as Dr Hu and her troupe take you through some role-plays to demonstrate how we can have deeper and more impactful communication with our children.

How will our students interact with AI – in the classroom and at home? We’ve learned from neuroscience that attention, cognition and learning thrive when there is belonging and connection. As more educational content is channeled through AI, we’ve yet to define its parameters to keep learning centered around teaching. Our speakers study and write about generative AI’s role in education and observe how it is poised to replace human connection as more youth turn to it for learning, companionship and therapy. Our speakers will share recommendations that define and support engaged learning in the age of AI.

Celebrate National Math Story-Telling Day with a special community-wide screening of Counted Out: Math is Power. This provocative film is brought to you by a director of the award-winning documentary, Race to Nowhere, and examines how perceptions of math shape power, equity, and opportunity in today's data-driven world. With education under attack and misinformation on the rise, math is more than just numbers – it’s a language for reason, a foundation for truth, and a tool for democracy. Math literacy shapes everything from opportunity to civic life and a growing movement calls to reimagine math as a shared language for building a healthier, more informed future.​

Drawing from the core insights of his book Healing the Modern Brain: Nine Tenets to Build Mental Fitness and Revitalize Your Mind, Dr. Drew Ramsey will discuss direct, actionable tools and strategies to enhance and reclaim your mental health, bolster your mental fitness, and thrive in a world that can sometimes feel overwhelming.

Weaving together the latest breakthroughs in scientific research with anecdotes from extensive clinical practice, Dr. Ramsey will demonstrate paths to optimize mental health and care for our extraordinary, modern brains.