We are living in a complex age, one in which children are overusing digital and tech, our definitions of sex and gender are being negotiated in social media, academe, and our schools, violence surrounds us, and teachers and parents feel almost desperate for tools to help the children in their care.

In this dynamic keynote presentation, Dr. Gurian will explore how the minds of boys and girls learn and grow, including brain differences that impact K – 12 education, early childhood, family life, and social emotional development throughout the lifespan.  He will provide insight into best teaching, parenting, counseling, and mentoring practices targeted to sex of the brain.

Michael’s presentation include PET, SPECT, and MRI scans that display sexual dimorphism (male/female brain differences) as he focuses on educating, raising, and counseling boys, and educating, raising, and counseling girls.  He will also show brain scans that help us understand the whole gender spectrum.

Michael will lead two working lunch discussions, as well.  Michael’s most recent books are Boys, A Rescue Plan, with Sean Kullman, The Storm In My Mother’s Eyes (michaelgurian.substack.com/), and The Minds of Girls.  We hope you will read one or more these books at your convenience.  In these working lunches, we will study and strategize the topics raised in the keynotes, and answer questions participants have from their own educational and community work.

Dr. Gurian’s second keynote focuses on trauma-informed education from a brain-based perspective and resilience-building at school, in the home, and in our communities.  Michael’s memoir, The Storm In My Mother’s Eyes:  A Journey of Forgiveness and Resilience, explores the science of trauma and resilience in story form.  Without the journey of resilience and forgiveness interconnected, Michael argues, children and adults lack a primary building block for healing trauma and, thus, for thriving.

A product of significant childhood trauma, Michael scores a 7 out of 10 on the Adverse Childhood Experiences, ACE survey.  The publication of his previous book, The Stone Boys, made public some of that childhood trauma and his memoir continued that exploration with brain science connected to story.  We hope you will read The Stone Boys (available on amazon.com and other outlets) and/or The Storm In My Mother’s Eyes (available via subscription at michaelgurian.substack.com) ahead of time for a deep dive into potential trauma-responses and resilience-development.

Michael’s wife of 37 years, Gail Reid-Gurian, died in 2023 from pancreatic cancer.  Her death further compelled Michael to share the walk of resilience via Michael’s Memoir of Grief available on michaelgurian.substack.com/.  Obstacles are built into life as elemental motivators of maturity.  This keynote, focusing on trauma and the development of resilience in children, will also help heal adults on their own journey.

This bonus keynote, which will be available for viewing before the weekend, will focus on how to help schools, teachers, and children use tech safely and effectively.  Overuse of social media and tech is a national mental health problem, yet tech is here to stay, especially with the new use of Artificial Intelligence by children and adults.  Limiting screen time–which is necessary and important–is not the whole story.

This keynote focuses on tech use as both a positive and negative in children’s lives.  Dr. Gurian looks carefully at the neural connection between tech use, especially among young children, and then brain issues later.  Because some schools are one-to-one, he will bring parents into the equation, who may need to cut back on child tech use at home so that teachers can use it in school.  He will explore specific tech issues faced by boys and by girls.

Some schools are going to a no-phone-during-the-school-day policy, and Michael will endorse that with brain science to show why it is a good plan.  Other schools are going toward more hands-on, project-driven, and nature-based learning.  Michael will provide brain research that supports this direction in education.

In this dynamic and moving keynote, Michael will provide insight and tools, strategies, and real-time conversations you can have with children as their parents and teachers to help them navigate their increasingly intense digital world.

To learn more and to register for our event, click here:  https://gurianinstitute.com/events/gurian-summer-institute-2025/.   For groups of 5 or more please write Dakota Hoyt at info@gurianinstitute.com or dakota.gurianinstitute@gmail.com.  If you would like to become a Certified Trainer at our Summer Institute, please check out our Trainer Certification page  https://gurianinstitute.com/trainer-certification/ then let Dakota know.