Shifting the Narrative on Middle School Youth
Shifting the Narrative on Middle School Youth
2025 BU Wheelock Forum explored how to best support adolescents ages 10–15
It’s a stage of adolescent development that’s marked by rapid change and challenges. Youth ages 10 to 15 are often overlooked in conversations about education and development. But it’s a time that’s also rich with potential for growth, identity formation, and resilience.
The 2025 BU Wheelock Forum—Thriving in the Middle School Years—explored issues related to middle schoolers and the rapid development and social shifts that impact them, and their families, teachers, and communities. Panelists and speakers discussed shifting away from the deficit-based view of this age group that dominates current policy and research, and explored moving toward an increased investment in programs and systems that nurture the strengths of young adolescents.
The 2025 Forum featured keynote presentations by Jason Reynolds, best-selling author of novels and poetry for young adults and middle grade audiences, and Dr. Wendi Williams, psychologist, advocate, and educator. The Forum is presented annually by BU Wheelock. Learn more about the BU Wheelock Forum.
Highlights of the Forum
Check out the 2025 BU Wheelock Forum Photo Gallery, too!
Through the Middle: What Middle Schoolers Teach Us About Maturing Through Precarity
Panelist: Dr. Wendi S. Williams
The World Isn’t Black and White: Supporting Critical Racial Consciousness Among Middle School Students
Panelists: Tina Durand and Michael Medina
Social Emotional Well-Being in the Middle School Years
Panelists: Jennifer Greif Green, Melissa Holt, Katie Parodi, Donna Pincus, and Ziming Xuan
Developing Collaborative Discourse Communities in Classrooms
Panelists: Kaylene Stevens, Ariel Tichnor-Wagner, Annabel Stoler, and Angel Pizarro
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