Our funding brought best-selling author and former Stanford University dean, Julie Lythcott-Haims, to Saline for a transformative community event. Drawing from her New York Times best-selling book, How to Raise an Adult, Julie shared invaluable insights on parenting, education, and fostering self-efficacy in children. Her presentation highlighted how over-parenting can hinder kids’ development and offered practical strategies to help parents and educators cultivate resilience, resourcefulness, and inner determination in students.
This event directly addressed challenges facing our community, where many students struggle with confidence, resilience, and the ability to face adversity. Teachers, parents, and educators consistently observe students who are overly reliant on adults, hesitant to take risks, or afraid of failure—challenges that can impede academic and personal growth.
Julie’s message empowered our community to reflect on their parenting and teaching practices, equipping them with tools to help students build strong senses of self, perseverance, and a growth mindset. By fostering these qualities, the grant supported the development of students who are better prepared to thrive academically and personally as they grow into resilient, capable adults.
