Anne Louise Carricarte and her daughter, Sophia Kardonski, will lead a conversation about strengthening parent-child bonds at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Key Biscayne Community Center.

The talk, titled "Present Parenting: Be Present. Stay Connected," is the next installment in the Community Talk Series organized by Creating Connections, a local initiative founded by Malena Assing. The Islander News first reported the event Monday.

A program rooted in science and experience

Carricarte and Kardonski co-created Present Parenting, a program that blends psychology and neuroscience with personal experience to help parents navigate difficult moments. According to the program's website, the curriculum draws on more than 30 years of lived experience across two generations. Carricarte is an author, entrepreneur and parenting advocate. Kardonski is a creative director and educator who holds degrees from Central Saint Martins and Le Cordon Bleu in London and co-authored the book "Visible You."

The mother and daughter are not new to island audiences. They co-hosted "The Heart of Parenting" at Motivating Minds in late 2025, alongside Alex Andrews of the Megan Way Foundation. At that event, as Islander News reported in November 2025, Carricarte told attendees: "Parenting is a short, sacred window — not something to perfect, but to be present for."

Carrying forward Megan Andrews' legacy

The Megan Way Foundation, a program of the Key Biscayne Community Foundation, honors Megan Welsh Andrews, a learning disabilities specialist who opened the Achievement Center in 1985 and spent decades supporting children and families in the community. Megan Andrews died Feb. 14, 2024, after a collision with an e-bike on the island.

Alex Andrews carries that work forward. The foundation focuses on three areas: children with learning differences, parental support and animal care.

Scholarships help families join the program

The Megan Way Foundation and the Visible Fund offer scholarships to help families access the broader Present Parenting program. Scholarships are available on a first-come, first-served basis.