The School Connect Podcast

The School Connect Podcast

We are not powerless to build the world our children deserve. Every day, normal people work together to overcome challenging community problems in powerful and creative ways. Their journeys give us the courage to create the change we hope to see. Join the School Connect Podcast to hear stories of the Village: local leaders who come together with passion and tenacity to fight for their communities. Whether it’s a business leader who gives truck-loads of furniture for teachers’ home offices, a faith leader who gathers parents together to help them weather the challenges of parenting, or a principal who kneels on the front lawn of a student’s home to remind them that they are not alone - their collective voice shows us how the power of connection can build hope and create change - not just for tomorrow, but for today.

Episodes

May 2, 2024 33 mins

How do you create spaces to make Mental Health issues less of a stigma and more of a normalized topic of conversation? 

How do we help build mental health resiliency in our youth and the educators who pour into them daily?

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On today's season finale, we shine a light on voices that need to be heard. We hear from Emiliano Carranza and Gerardo "Tre" Chavez about what it means to be a leader and how leadership can uplift communities. They discuss the importance of working towards their dreams and how teamwork is vital in leadership. They express their belief that leadership in youth is beneficial to the future of communities. Tune in this fall for seaso...
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The health of our future leaders is key to building a stronger community. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona has provided health services across the state for years, all while giving back through programs that promote healthy living. In today's episode, they discuss the importance of talking about mental health and healthy eating and how their initiative and programs are helping make a change.
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May 3, 2023 33 mins
How do we ensure our students have the tools they need to succeed? Our guest this week, Jason Catanese, shares the importance of taking initiative to build math skills in Arizona youth. Tune in to hear about the crucial role mathematics plays on our children's future.
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Our School Connect Champions of Education Awards Emcee, Danielle Lerner, has been a crucial part of education in the media. She believes storytelling plays a vital role in bringing a community together. Join the conversation as Danielle shares how we can all play a role in journalism and meet her in person at our Awards Breakfast.
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April 5, 2023 37 mins
What does it take to lead a team? How can we ensure all hands are on deck in our community? Tune in to hear more about nurturing unexpected relationships and building support in neighborhoods.
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March 22, 2023 28 mins

What can  you find when you're willing to look and listen to your community? You get a front row seat into the needs, strengths and potential of the community. Tune in to hear more about Denis Parcells' experience as the Director of the Glendale Elementary System of Care and how understanding the community is key to leveraging support, solving problems and fostering success. 

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How can you take the first step into giving back? JustServe opens up connections, using a system that links a community's volunteer needs with helping hands. Tune in to hear more about the opportunities their organization provides locally and remotely.
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February 22, 2023 27 mins
Nurturing our children's creativity makes everyone a rockstar. Randy Spencer joins us to talk about how the Alice Cooper Teen Rock Center is a safe space for Arizona youth and how they help discover their talents and cultivate creativity. 
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February 8, 2023 33 mins
Want to bring in more partnerships for your school's community but don't know how to start building those connections? Paradise Valley School District started to incorporate this and is leading to continuous collaborations and resources for their students.
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January 25, 2023 30 mins
Being bilingual has become crucial in today's society. The 2021 Arizona Teacher of the Year, Sara Wyffels, has grown through the discovery of the Spanish language and culture. Tune in to hear from our School Connect Summit's emcee discuss her adventures abroad and how she is teaching the next generation of bilingual speakers. 
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January 11, 2023 32 mins
How do you engage an entire village to work alongside your school this year? Our model is seeing academic achievement and collaboration efforts increase. Learn more about how the seed planted in our partnering schools in 2022 has already had tremendous growth and success. 
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December 28, 2022 35 mins
Quincy Natay knows what it takes to change the culture of Chinle Unified School District in order to help it truly flourish. Tune in to hear how he engages his entire community, expands funding and multiplies leadership.
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Franklin Police & Fire High School, the first of its kind in the nation, offers a rigorous physical and academic high school education and a head start to a career in public safety. Tune in to today’s episode to hear how Franklin partners with surrounding cities’ police and fire departments and other agencies to provide students with real world, hands-on opportunities that include internships, physical training, and special employm...
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November 30, 2022 34 mins
From grabbing his tools to construct classrooms across the state to mentoring an incoming generation in STEM, our guest is all hands on deck in helping build a better education for our children!
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Life outside the city can be rewarding when the communities find harmony and support between each other. But how do these cities find sufficient outside support for their students? Small but mighty connections are made like this...
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November 2, 2022 30 mins
It's another podcast Wednesday and Tracey begins the show with the story of her journey - from helping kids to starting School Connect and navigating its mission through every school we enter and get to be involved with. In today's episode, we invite a guest who was the first person to expand the School Connect model to another city - Margaret Judson, City Director for School Connect in San Antonio. Margaret explains what made Sch...
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It’s that time of year - Love Our Schools Day is here! Tracey and Tim have invited Dr. Jennifer Johnson and Doreen Zannis this week. Dr. Johnson works with Grand Canyon University for their Educational Alliances team and Doreen Zannis has worked as a school nurse for more than 15 years and started the Support Our Schools AZ organization.  This entire month, we have seen all the wonderful work that happens when a community joins ou...
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In today's episode, Pastor Dan Steffen, Senior Pastor at Pure Heart Church and Co-Founder of School Connect, takes the mic and is our host for the show. How do faith communities lift our schools and help be part of the change? To talk about how these communities come alongside campuses, he brings on special guests, Ryan Nunez from Palm Valley Church and Jake Hancock from Christ's Church of the Valley. Ryan and Dan discuss the impo...
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For the first guest episode of season 2, Tracey and Tim welcome Maria Cristina Fuentes, Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Youth Faith & Family in Arizona. She has worked with George W. Bush at the US Department of Labor, served in the White House Faith-Based Office and the Justice Department. Throughout her career, she has helped governors set up their own faith-based offices. In this episode, Maria explains the three...
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