Child development, bereavement expert to speak

Submitted by Marmian Grimes
Phone: (907) 474-7902
07/19/07

Nationally recognized child development and bereavement expert Maria Trozzi will speak in Fairbanks July 30-31 as part of the UAF Summer Sessions Health Seminar Series.

The first lecture, "The Agonies and Ecstasies of Parenting Adolescents," will be presented Monday, July 30 at 7 p.m. in the Charles W. Davis Concert Hall on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. The lecture is free and is designed for parents and the public.

During the lecture, Trozzi will explore the normal developmental stresses that adolescents face as they lose their childhood and move toward adulthood. She will discuss when and how parents can help and what techniques to use to create a base of support for teens.

On Tuesday, July 31 at the Lee H. Salisbury Theatre, Trozzi will present a daylong professional seminar outlining communication techniques and strategies to help adolescents as they face losses such as the death of a friend or other loved one. The seminar "Community Alert: Strategies that Promote Resilience in our Adolescents as They Face Losses," will explore these stresses and identify effective communication techniques to help professionals, parents and other caring adults provide guidance to teens.

The all-day conference is designed for professionals who work with parents and children: educators, physicians, childcare providers, nurses, psychologists, counselors, social workers and early intervention specialists. Continuing education units are available in several disciplines. The seminar is $60 and includes lunch.

Trozzi is an assistant professor of pediatrics at Boston University School of Medicine and director of the nationally renowned Good Grief Program at Boston Medical Center. She is considered one of the nation’s leading child bereavement experts.

CONTACT: UAF Summer Sessions at (907) 474-7021 or summer@uaf.edu. Marmian Grimes, UAF public information officer, at (907) 474-7902 or via e-mail at marmian.grimes@uaf.edu.

ON THE WEB: www.uaf.edu/summer