Presented by the University of Louisville’s Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute in collaboration with the Filson Historical Society. A reception will be held from 4:30-5:25 pm with the lecture following from 5:30-6:30 pm.

Brains haven’t changed; technology has. Children haven’t changed; childhood has. In an era when young people’s mental health has prompted a Surgeon General’s warning, the average 8-year-old spends over seven hours per day on screens (outside of school), and schools regularly dole out iPads to kindergartners, how can we prepare children for a future that grows more technological by the day while preserving and protecting the skills and experiences we know children need to thrive? The answer is by reshaping schools using a Tech-intentional™ framework. 

A Tech-Intentional Framework consists of four foundational principles. First, while children do need access to technology, they do not need individual devices for school. Secondly, children need ample opportunities for skill-building through play and social interactions in the real world. Third, learning is relational. Teachers and school leaders must prioritize human connection over reliance on technologies such as AI. Finally, a tech-intentional school differentiates between EdTech (educational technology) and Tech Ed (technology education) and defaults to technology-based tools that are proven to be safe, effective, and legal.

A former classroom teacher, Emily Cherkin, aka The Screentime Consultant, has spent many years working with parents, schools, and families in her quest to build a more tech-intentional world. Her approach is supported by independent research, rooted in child development, and free of judgment. A mother of two teenagers herself, Emily knows firsthand the challenges of parenting in the digital age.