Our Podcasts.
We produced our first official podcast in 2017 with support from the then named Office of Adolescent Health. At that time, we were helping Teen Pregnancy Prevention grantees across the country improve their communications and fundraising capacity. To date, we have produced and posted 18 terrific podcasts on a wide variety of topics. For easier access, we have compiled them here in three batches: Insights from the Field, Working Well, and The Foresight Initiative. And because they are evergreen, with keen insights and recommendations, we hope you will give them a second listen as you strive to meet this moment.
Listen to each podcast by pressing the triangle alongside each title.
Insights From the Field Podcasts
Conversations with expert voices in child and youth services on their work, their experiences in the field, and what the future holds for today’s young people.
Trauma in check. A conversation. 9/29/25. Our discussion with two young leaders on the Youth Advisory Board for the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV) about their design and launch of the Triumph Over Trauma campaign.
Tech and the teen brain. Parts 1 &2. 6/25. Two conversations with Erin Walsh, co-founder of Spark & Stitch Institute. She helps families and educators navigate adolescence, parenting, and technology. This discussion on teens and technology includes a middle schooler in the discussion in Part 2.
Allyship is not a smooth sail. 8/15/23. Conversation with Dr. Kim Frierson, Doctor of Social Work, and certified Child and Youth Care practitioner on DEI practices, nonprofit management, and more.
Giving youth the chance and budget to improve their community. 8/28/17. Our conversation with six young women at the Greater Worcester Community Foundation’s Youth for Community Improvement Project which engages teens in philanthropy.
Working Well Podcasts
Conversations with education leaders to better understand how an investment in educator and staff well-being can improve student success (done in partnership with the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments).
Recruiting and Retaining Black Educators. 11/11/24. A discussion with three influential Black educators on what drew them to education, how they disrupt inequities in part by promoting staff well-being and empowerment, and the need to recruit and retain more Black educators in American schools.
A Leadership Coach’s Perspective on Educator Well-Being. 6/24/24. Our conversation with Peter DeWitt, ED.D., former teacher, principal and administrator, now education leadership coach, on fostering inclusive school climates, staff well-being, and being a leader for LGBTQI+ educators.
A Teacher-Mentor’s Perspective on Well-Being. 4/25/24. A discussion with Kathy Nimmer, a high school English teacher for 29 years, Indiana’s Teacher of the Year in 2015, and who also happens to be blind, on her disability and teaching, and her unique approach to mentoring.
A Superintendent’s Perspective on Staff Well-Being. 1/24/24. A talk with Dr. Georgeanne Warnock, Superintendent of Terrell Independent School District, in Texas on staff recruitment and retention and the social emotional health of students and staff. Dr. Warnock has 25 years of experience in public education as a teacher, principal, and Superintendent.
A Teacher’s Perspective on Staff Well-Being. 12/6/23. Our talk with Jermar Rountree, who has been teaching physical education for 16 years, was named the D.C. Teacher of the Year in 2023 and was a finalist for the 2023 National Teacher of the Year, on social emotional learning, and his passion for teaching.
A School Psychologist's Perspective on Staff Well-Being. 9/19/23. A conversation with Elvina Charley, bi-lingual Diné (Navajo) school psychologist in the Navajo Nation of Northeastern Arizona on her Navajo heritage, and reducing stress through mindfulness practices.
A Principal's Perspective on Staff Well-Being. 9/18/23. Our talk with Dr. Ricki Gibbs, Elementary Principal of the Year for Metro Nashville Public Schools in 2020 and the head of all elementary LEAD Public Schools in Nashville, on the importance of self-care and boundaries, recognizing seen and unseen trauma, and supporting families and the community.
A Researcher’s Perspective on Educator Well-Being. 9/16/22. Our conversation with Dr. Patricia Jennings, Professor of Education, from the University of Virginia, an internationally recognized researcher and leader in the fields of social and emotional learning and mindfulness.
Foresight Initiative Podcasts
Conversations with experts in the field of child and youth services on how they faced pandemic challenges, innovated and adapted their services in response, what they learned from the experience, and what changed and will stay changed.
Our Foresight Initiative podcasts with Mishaela Durán, Past President & CEO of The Forum for Youth Investment, Dr. David Osher Past Vice President and Institute Fellow at AIR, Dr. Gislaine N. Ngounou, Past Interim President and CEO of Nellie Mae, Claire Wyneken, Past President and CEO of Wyman Center, and Steven Jella, Associate Executive Director for San Diego Youth Services can be found on our Foresight Initiative page.