#TalkEarly 2016 Summit
We were thrilled to bring our 2016 & 2017 #TalkEarly partners together for our most recent summit in our nation’s capital.
"We believe bringing everyone together at least once a year allows us to connect with our influencers, and allows them to connect with each other," said Leslie Kimball, Vice President of Communications. "We love hearing straight from the bloggers what their readers would like to know when it comes to this important topic of underage drinking. We're here to provide resources, so this is our time to brainstorm and create the most effective program possible.
The #TalkEarly program started as an idea that conversations about alcohol need to happen before alcohol even presents itself directly to kids, often middle school aged. It needs to start as a conversation amongst parents to model positive behavior, and addressing those initial questions of curiosity from young ones about not just alcohol, but adult vs. child behavior. #TalkEarly aims to generate discussion around what parents can do to make the most positive impact on their kids in their formative years. To do so, the team heard from an array of speakers and asked insightful questions to create discussion within the room about these conversations.
The morning kicked off with an insightful talk with Dr. Shefali Tsabari, an author, mother and renowned speaker, about the importance of setting a good example for your kids and practicing conscious parenting. Our bloggers captured some of her most inspiring and impactful quotes:
We then heard from Robert Vincent, Public Health Analyst with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), on preventing underage drinking and how the developing brain changes through a child’s life.
Our own Vice President of research and data analysis, Maureen Dalbec, covered the longitudinal study we've been conducting since the program's inception three years ago. The study has been promoted by the bloggers throughout the program, prompting their readers to answer questions about their parenting style, and where they find information about parenting, especially as it related to alcohol. We have interesting results that we can't wait to share with you in a final report coming out later this year.
Our President and CEO, Ralph Blackman, helped us close the summit by providing an overview on Responsibility.org’s efforts to fight drunk driving, underage drinking and promote responsible consumption. His own experience raising his two kids provided insight into the importance of having open conversations.
We had a little fun at the end thanks to Deva Dalporto. We have a fun surprise coming soon!
Thank you to all our 2016 & 2017 partners for joining us! We hope you enjoyed the summit!
We’ll be announcing our #TalkEarly 2017 team in the upcoming weeks.
As the online voice of Ask, Listen, Learn: Kids and Alcohol Don’t Mix and manager of #TalkEarly, Genevieve Adams, Manager Communications, has always had a philanthropic spirit and enjoys working for a non-profit that positively impacts our nation’s youth.
