An evening of discussion was held Oct. 4 at Stanford about the latest research on how to raise children who are engaged by school and are also getting an education that  prepares them to thrive in the new economy.

Hundreds of parents, students, educators, and the public at-large attended the event, sponsored by Challenge Success, a nonprofit group associated with the Stanford Graduate School of Education. The evening began at 7 p.m. at Memorial Auditorium on the Stanford campus, and featured Challenge Success co-founders Denise Pope and Madeline Levine and Daniel Pink, author of New York Times bestsellers  Drive, A Whole New Mind, and To Sell is Human, who gave the keynote address.

After Pink's remarks, he, Pope, and Levine held a discussion with the audience about the meaning of success and how families and educators can help kids flourish in the fast-paced world in which we live. They offered practical ideas to help families define success on their own terms. The evening also helped parents and educators explore ways to meet the unique needs of each child to promote student well-being and engagement in school.

The annual event marks 10 years that Challenge Success educators have been working with schools — collaborating with more than 100 of them. The Oct. 4 session also kicked off the group’s 2013 conference, Keep It in Perspective.

Challenge Success, formed in 2007, grew out of the Stressed-Out Students Project at the Graduate School of Education. It works with schools and families to develop research-based strategies that provide kids with the academic, social, and emotional skills needed to succeed now and in the future. Through workshops, conferences, and presentations, it provides parents with practical tools aimed at helping them to raise healthy, motivated kids. It also collaborates with educators to develop school and classroom policies that encourage students to reach their individual potential and develop their true talents and interests.

Pink is the author of several bestselling books about the changing world of work. His articles on business and technology appear in many publications, including the New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Wired, and The Sunday Telegraph. He provides analysis of business trends to CNN, CNBC, ABC, NPR, and other networks in the United States and abroad. He lectures to corporations, associations, and universities around the world on economic transformation and the new workplace.

Pope is senior lecturer at the Graduate School of Education, a leading expert on student engagement, and author of Doing School: How We Are Creating a Generation of Stressed-Out, Materialistic and Miseducated Students (2001). Levine is a nationally known psychologist with experience as a clinician, consultant, and educator and is the New York Times best-selling author of The Price of Privilege (2006) and Teach Your Children Well (2012).

The Keep It in Perspective conference is designed to broaden the notion of success that is based on high grades, test scores, and acceptance into prestigious schools. The Challenge Success leaders say that adolescents are often compromising their mental and physical health, personal values, and commitment to learning to contend with the pressure for high achievement. Many educators, mental health professionals, and business leaders have also expressed concern that this narrow definition of success is leaving young people without the skills to adapt, interact, and collaborate in a rapidly changing world.

Following the evening discussion, on Oct. 5, about 30 middle school and high school teams — composed of students, teachers, parents, administrators, and counselors from the Bay Area, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Minnesota — gathered for the conference. They participated in workshops designed to help schools learn about the challenges involved in re-envisioning success and to develop plans of action for implementing change at their sites.

School teams of four to eight stakeholders were invited to submit an application last spring to participate in the conference. The teams attended a Friday night reception before the public event. In addition to participating in the Saturday workshops, each team received a Stanford “coach” who will offer guidance to the school during the academic year as the team continues to develop plans to reduce student stress and increase engagement. School teams then re-convene next spring to assess the strategies that have been implemented and to discuss plans for the future.

For more information, please contact Samantha Spielman at sspielman@challengesuccess.org or (415) 602-9652.

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This story was updated on Oct. 8.