About the Summit

This year's summit, Staying Strong Through Challenge and Change focused on issues relating to middle childhood, and the transition to adolescence.  Current research has increasingly found that the elementary and middle school years (ages 5-13) play a distinct role in child development, and appropriate interventions during middle childhood are demonstrating good outcomes in later adolescence. Minnesota has an opportunity to take on a leadership role in how we respond to the compelling needs of kids in this age group. The summit took place June 4, 2004. Click here for a summary document based on conversations from the Summit

The goals of the Summit Series included:

• Present current knowledge of the needs and strengths of Minnesota's children, youth and families;


• Assess the ways we are addressing child, youth and family well-being in our communities and through our public policies;


• Strengthen connections among the state's researchers, practitioners, and community leaders so that they can better collaborate in finding solutions to the challenges that face children, youth, and families; and


• Develop action plans and next steps that can be taken to achieve better outcomes for children, youth and families.

This year's summit added to the work of the 2003 Children's Summit. Held May 30, 2003, the summit focused on "Starting Strong," with an emphasis on the early foundations of healthy development and learning -- and the programs, policies, practices, and conditions that enable children and their families to thrive and succeed. Continuing a similar thread, the subsequent summit in the series focused on challenges and opportunities at later stages of development, again with a focus on what needs to happen in families, schools, communities and the society-at-large to promote good outcomes for children and youth. Click here for select program materials from Starting Strong.