News
Contact: Rebecca Finley
rfinley@cfmt.org
(615) 321-4939
Date: July 21, 2006
The Community Foundation Hosts Renowned Parenting Author and Psychologist for 2006 Edna S. Thomas Lecture Series
Dr. Michael Thompson to Give Lecture and Workshop September 26 and 27
Nashville, Tennessee – Nashville parents will have the opportunity to learn from Dr. Michael Thompson, featured on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and “The Today Show,” on September 26 and 27 during the seventh annual Edna S. Thomas Lecture Series. A program of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, the lecture series is a presentation for parents and teachers of preschool to adolescent-aged children.
The series is made possible by The Foundation’s Edna S. Thomas Fund, established in 2000 by Thomas’ daughter, Judy Lewis, as a fitting tribute to her mother’s outstanding parenting skills. The Fund endows the annual lecture series to serve as a way to better equip parents to raise healthy children.
Thompson, author of several best-selling books like Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys and Best Friends/Worst Enemies: Understanding the Social Worlds of Children, is a consultant, author and psychologist specializing in children and families. Thompson will give a free lecture to the public entitled, “The Pressured Child: Helping Your Child Achieve Success in School and in Life,” at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 26, at Montgomery Bell Academy, 4001 West End Avenue.
Thompson also will lead a workshop, “Mom, They’re Teasing Me: Helping Your Child Solve Social Problems,” on Wednesday, September 27 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Woodmont Christian Church, 3601 Hillsboro Pike. Registration for the workshop is $10. Please call (615) 321-4939 to reserve a seat or register online at www.cfmt.org.
“The Community Foundation is honored to be a part of this effort to educate parents and teachers in an environment filled with new social and developmental challenges for children,” said Ellen Lehman, President of The Community Foundation. “We look forward to welcoming Dr. Thompson and sharing his exceptional knowledge and experience with the many participants eager to learn.”
About Michael Thompson, Ph.D.
Michael Thompson, Ph.D. is a consultant, author and psychologist specializing in children and families. He is the clinical consultant to The Belmont Hill School and has worked in more than two hundred fifty schools across the United States, as well as in international schools in Central America, Europe and Asia. His books include the best-selling Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys; Speaking of Boys: Answers to the Most-Asked Questions About Raising Sons; Best Friends / Worst Enemies: Understanding the Social Worlds of Children; Mom, They’re Teasing Me: Helping Your Child Solve Social Problems; and The Pressured Child: Helping Your Child Achieve Success in School and in Life. In addition to his numerous television appearances, he has been a guest on NPR’s “Morning Edition” and “Talk of the Nation.” For more information, see www.michaelthompson.com.
About the Edna S. Thomas Fund
Judy Lewis came to The Community Foundation in 2000 with the desire to create a legacy in honor of her mother, Edna¸ who died in 1993, and had been an outstanding parent. As a fitting tribute, Judy worked with The Community Foundation to start a fund to develop an annual fall lecture series focusing on raising healthy children and giving parents the tools to succeed.
About The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee oversees more than 565 charitable funds. In the past fourteen years, The Community Foundation has distributed $270 million to community programs and institutions. Currently, The Community Foundation manages funds totaling $379 million. It is located at 3833 Cleghorn Avenue, #400 Nashville, Tennessee 37215. For more information, call 615-321-4939 or visit www.cfmt.org.
