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Media
My work – as a certified parent coach, a mental health activist, a community leader, a speaker, and a writer focused on helping parents realize the power they have to foster healthy family relationships – is featured in national, state, and local media.
Vanessa Elias shares lasting ripple effect of block parties in “Why do block parties matter” in this 57-second video. (12/13/24 Strong Towns)
Vanessa shares her story and how it led to Block Party USA in a PechaKucha-style presentation with 20 slides, 20 seconds on each. (3/5/24 Weave: The Social Fabric Project at the Aspen Institute)
Lenore Skenazy, Jonathan Haidt, and Vanessa at The Anxious Generation art installation by artist Dave Cicirelli. (March 2024, New York City)
"Are You Raising Kids in Captivity, then Expecting Them to Survive in the Wild?" (Let Grow)
Bill Courtney interviews Vanessa Elias on An Army of Normal Folks podcast – “Vanessa Elias: The Block Party Revolution.” (11/4/25)
Vanessa Elias was a featured speaker at Seattle’s Emerald City Rotary meeting. (11/4/25)
Vanessa Elias joined fellow inspiring leaders and community builders at the 2025 Social Connection Conference: Seeds of Connection in Atlanta. (10/28-10/30/25)
Block Party USA featured in “Think Globally, Act Neighborly: 6 Small Steps to Get Big Change.” (9/30/25 The Chronicle of Philanthropy)
Vanessa Elias, along with researcher Peter Gray, Ph.D., and pediatrician Dr. Arwa Nasir, on play deficit disorder. To encourage free play for kids, Block Party USA is featured. (10/22/25 Yahoo.com)
School & Homework Refusal – Why It Happens & How To Help with Vanessa Elias (10/21/25)
Interactive “Lunch and Learn” webinar led by parent coach Vanessa Elias “School and Homework Refusal — Why it Happens and How to Help.” (10/17/25 Good Morning Wilton)
“Reflections after one year of our K-12 district going phone-free bell-to-bell” by Vanessa Elias. (10/15/25 Global Day of Unplugging)
Vanessa Elias led Strong Towns virtual workshop “3 Ways to Build a Neighborhood Where Kids Can be Independent.” (10/9/25)
Vanessa was a featured speaker in Connective Tissue’s interactive workshop on cultivating neighborhood membership (8/27/25)
Block Party USA Announces 2025 Back-to-School Challenge! Now...until September 28, 2025! (8/22/25)
After giving a presentation about the power of block parties, Vanessa with Camille Carriero, president of Wilton Rotary Club and executive director of Wilton Chamber of Commerce. (7/11/25)
Block Party USA is featured in Jonathan Haidt's newsletter "After Babel" by guest author Katherine Martinko in “Let Kids Be Loud – In Defense of Outdoor Play.” (7/9/25 After Babel)
Vanessa interviewed on ARC Seattle “Seattle Reconnected: How to plan a successful block party.” (7/8/25 KOMO News)
Vanessa with Karl Schatz of Community Plate, Stephen J. Coté of Massachusetts Coalition to Build Community and End Loneliness, and Julia Hotz, author of The Connection Cure. (7/7/25 2025 New England Connection Expo)
Katherine Goldstein features Block Party USA in her “The Double Shift” Substack. Katherine is working on her first book, "How to Find Your People: A Guide to the Transformative Power of Community," to be published in 2027 by Portfolio, an imprint of Penguin Random House. (6/18/25 The Double Shift)
A simple and free way to boost your well-being this summer, and the benefits last long after the lawn chairs and coolers are put away – BLOCK PARTIES! Gayle Beavil interviews Vanessa in the episode “A Surprisingly Effective Cure for Loneliness & Divisiveness.” (5/28/25 Love Sweet Love podcast)
Vanessa Elias and Kim Zemo led the Wilton Youth Council Lunch and Learn webinar, “How to Help When Your Child is Struggling.” (5/6/25)
Vanessa Elias joined the SFCxUS community to discuss how to host a block party and build community within your neighborhood. (5/5/25)
Block Party USA featured in “You’ve Probably Already Met Your Next Best Friend.” (4/21/25 The Atlantic)
Vanessa honored as one of 25 innovators leading the charge to end the loneliness epidemic, a first-of-its-kind event by Reimagine and author Allison Gilbert. (4/17/25 Reimagine Making Connections)
Vanessa Elias featured in "The Block Party: Where Did It Go?” In this 13 minute short documentary, Vanessa shares the power, the lasting ripple effect, of a simple block party with Block Party USA. (12/13/24 Strong Towns)
"A block(buster) idea" Be the Change: Costco members find ways to improve others’ lives – Vanessa featured in Costco Connection (December 2024)
As part of Dr. Vivek H. Murthy’s "Recipes for Connection" initiative, Block Party USA is a featured resource that supports building social connection through gathering. (November 2024, Office of the U.S. Surgeon General website)
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