The UW-Madison Continuing Studies Gender Studies Project is sponsoring their fourth annual Boys & Girls at Risk: The Emerging Science of Gender Differences Conference on June 16 & 17, 2009, at the Madison Marriott West, Middleton WI (www.boysgirls-atrisk.org).

This year’s keynote speakers will look at adolescent brain development in drug addiction, the role of nurturing communities in children’s health, and the part that humor plays in communicating with teens. Because gender sensitivity cuts across a variety of disciplines, workshops from different professions are provided to foster cross-discipline training, exposure and create dialog among participants.

Q: How did this conference get started?
A: The Boys & Girls at Risk conference began three years ago prompted by published research highlighted in Dr. Leonard Sax’s book, Why Gender Matters, which acknowledges gender differences and argues for gender-specific education. The Gender Studies Project was already sensitive to the fact that different adolescent drug treatment is needed for boys and girls in order to achieve a successful outcome, so a conference was organized to look at the science and examine the issues involved in gender-specific education and treatment.

Q: Your conference also highlights the emerging science of gender differences, what are some of those findings that you’ll be emphasizing?
A: Our main keynote, Dr. Timothy P. Condon, points out that adolescence is a key period for brain development, but it is also a time that most teens experiment with, and can become addicted to, drugs; so paying attention to gender differences between boys and girls promises to develop targeted approaches to prevention strategies and therapies for treating addictive disorders.

Q : We see the term “at risk” a lot, what does that mean in the context of this conference?
A: Dr. Kathleen A. Kovner Kline, one of our keynote speakers, has pointed out that as a society we are witnessing a crisis among our children with rising rates of depression, anxiety, attention deficit, suicide and other mental and emotional problems. At-risk individual assessments and special programs are necessary for these crises, but they are not enough. Our approaches to these problems have been primarily seen through individualized medications and psychotherapies, but they do not address the broader social issues of community connectedness, which involves close connections to other people and deep connections to moral and spiritual meaning, both of which are vital to the success of our children.

Q: How can parents benefit from attending this conference?
A: There are workshops pertinent to boys and workshops pertinent to girls, and they deal with specific challenges relevant to each group. The common theme that permeates our workshops is the notion that if boys and girls are innately different, then we must change the environment so their differences don’t become limitations. Our workshops offer both educators and parents strategies based on evidence-based research and promising practices to raise healthy males and females connected to family and community. For more information go to www.boysgirls-atrisk.org or call 608-263-9732.

To read the brochure, click here.