ACE presents “We Need to Talk: Growing Up with Porn” on Nov. 14

Arlington Community Education will hold the second conversation in the popular We Need to Talk series, which features authors, journalists and researchers sharing their stories and expertise about pressing and timely issues. Renowned author and Arlingtonian Steve Almond provides the framework for discussion, understanding, and reflection, but a vital part of We Need to Talk is the conversation generated by the audience members themselves.

Growing Up with Porn will be held on Thursday, November 14, 2019, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Joining host Steve Almond for this conversation will be guest speakers Cristina Quinn, TV and radio reporter for WGBH; Wendy Conroy, health educator and Our Whole Lives instructor; and Samantha (Sam) Wechsler, interim executive director of Culture Reframed.

The rise of the Internet has ushered in a world where pornography is easily accessible to teens and kids at startlingly younger ages. What effect does this have on kids struggling to adjust to adolescence and figure out their own sexuality? Join us for a frank and sensitive discussion with writers and thinkers who have pondered this question and some potential solutions.

This event will be held at Kickstand Cafe, 594 Mass. Ave., Arlington. Doors open at 7 p.m. and cafe food will be available for purchase until 8 p.m., with drinks available until 9. Reservations recommended but walk-ins are welcome as space allows. Reserve a spot at https://ace.asapconnected.com/#CourseID=203864 or call 781-316-3568.

Steve Almond is the author of ten books, including the New York Times Bestsellers Candyfreak and Against Football. His essays have appeared in the New York Times Magazine, GQ, The Boston Globe, and others. He teaches at the Nieman Fellowship for Journalism at Harvard and Wesleyan University. For many years, he hosted the popular podcast Dear Sugars with his pal Cheryl Strayed. His new book, Bad Stories, is a reckoning with our national moment. He lives in Arlington with his wife Erin and three children.

Cristina Quinn is a TV and radio reporter for WGBH. She has done in-depth reporting on public health issues, science and technology and how they often intersect. She has reported on the Boston Public Health Commission’s Porn Literacy program, an after-school course that teaches teens to critically examine messages they’re learning from online porn. Her stories air regularly on WGBH’s Greater Boston and 89.7 FM, and have aired on PBS NewsHour, NPR, and PRI’s The World.

Wendy Conroy is a trained Health Educator with a Master in Public Health. She has been leading sexuality education programs for many years to youth from Belmont, Arlington and surrounding areas. She facilitates workshops to help parents navigate challenging conversations about relationships and sexuality with their children. In addition, she works to educate families about substance use and mental health issues that affect youth. She is the parent of two teens and personally understands a lot of the challenges of today's parenting.

Samantha (Sam) Wechsler is interim executive director of Culture Reframed, an organization that provides researched-based programs for parents and professionals to promote healthy child and youth development, relationships and sexuality. It is the first organization to recognize and address hypersexualized media and pornography as “the public health crisis of the digital age.” Sam’s career has been devoted to creating, improving and expanding programming for children and youth in both the public and private sectors. One of her greatest passions is designing and facilitating participatory trainings and workshops that draw people into engaging conversations about difficult topics, and help participants develop a deeper sense of themselves and their role in social change efforts.

To register for this or any Arlington Community Education program, please visit ArlingtonCommunityEd.org or call 781-316-3568.

Arlington Community Education is a program of the Arlington Public Schools that is completely supported by tuition from our courses. ACE provides affordable education and enrichment opportunities for children and adults from Arlington and surrounding communities.