The Gap Minders
The show taking the lead on catalytic conversations spurring listeners to think critically about some of our world’s most pressing issues and be compelled to take action. We have plenty of gaps in America and right here in San Diego—educational, racial, wealth, health, literacy, and more. Welcome to The Gap Minders, the podcast taking on these GAPS—one conversation at a time. To tackle these gaps and lift lives, United Way of San Diego County and the San Diego Council on Literacy have joined forces. The Gap Minders weekly episodes will inform, inspire, and illuminate the gaps and the solutions. Through insightful conversations with a range of notable and engaging guests, including education experts, political figures dedicated to improving our region, and influential changemakers passionate about equity for all children and families, we will make a difference. Thank you for your time, attention, heart, and mind.
Episodes
May 13, 2024 • 37 mins
In this excellent episode, Nancy and Jose are joined in the studio by Alex Mazloom, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Mind Treasures
The journey Alex took from Iran to create a special financial literacy program with spiritual underpinnings is covered in this episode. Despite Iran's lack of school libraries, Alex and his spouse were motivated to spread financial literacy. They combined financial education with spiritual Bahá'í te...
The journey Alex took from Iran to create a special financial literacy program with spiritual underpinnings is covered in this episode. Despite Iran's lack of school libraries, Alex and his spouse were motivated to spread financial literacy. They combined financial education with spiritual Bahá'í te...
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In this excellent episode, Nancy and Jose are joined in the studio by Chase Peckham, the Director of Community Outreach at the San Diego Financial Literacy Center.
Learn about Chase's experience and observations around financial literacy. He reflects on his early experiences of being read to by his parents and how he later discovered his talent for storytelling when reading to his own kids. He thinks back on the books that had a pr...
Learn about Chase's experience and observations around financial literacy. He reflects on his early experiences of being read to by his parents and how he later discovered his talent for storytelling when reading to his own kids. He thinks back on the books that had a pr...
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In this excellent episode, Nancy and Jose are joined in the studio by William York, the CEO and president of San Diego Health Connect, and 211 San Diego/Community Information Exchange. Hear William talk about the different groups and how they help the community.
William emphasizes how crucial these groups are to meeting the needs of the community, particularly in regards to social services and health. In order to promote holistic w...
William emphasizes how crucial these groups are to meeting the needs of the community, particularly in regards to social services and health. In order to promote holistic w...
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April 22, 2024 • 37 mins
In this excellent episode, Nancy and Jose are joined in the studio by Ivy Stein, an Impact Manager at the United Way of San Diego County.
Learn about the importance of having a positive community effect, particularly in San Diego County where over one-third of households experience financial hardship. Ivy talks about the coalition that she oversees, emphasizing the significance of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) in the area.
The ...
Learn about the importance of having a positive community effect, particularly in San Diego County where over one-third of households experience financial hardship. Ivy talks about the coalition that she oversees, emphasizing the significance of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) in the area.
The ...
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April 15, 2024 • 35 mins
In this excellent episode, Nancy and Jose are joined in the studio by Afira Devries, the President and CEO of the Monarch School Project. The Monarch School is the only public school in the US that serves only homeless pupils, offering kindergarten through high school education and support.
Afira talks about her experience working at the school, showing how it grew from a little one-room facility to being a pillar of support for ki...
Afira talks about her experience working at the school, showing how it grew from a little one-room facility to being a pillar of support for ki...
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April 8, 2024 • 41 mins
In this excellent episode, Nancy and Jose are joined in the studio by Jim Chilton, the CEO and founder of the Society for Financial Awareness (SOFA). Jim talks about the goal of SOFA, which is to educate people about money all around the country through online seminars and events. In addition to explaining his own experience and the reasons he founded the organization, he highlights the significance of financial literacy and the ne...
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April 2, 2024 • 36 mins
In this excellent episode, Nancy and Jose are joined in the studio by Carol Dedrich, the CEO of Girl Scouts San Diego, Carol Dedrich.
Hear about Carol and the organization's illustrious past and goals of empowering young women. The Girl Scouts, an organization founded by Julia Gordon Lowe to encourage girls and women to be self-sufficient, have a long history of developing strong people. The program's main objectives are to help you...
Hear about Carol and the organization's illustrious past and goals of empowering young women. The Girl Scouts, an organization founded by Julia Gordon Lowe to encourage girls and women to be self-sufficient, have a long history of developing strong people. The program's main objectives are to help you...
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This excellent episode features a riveting discussion between Nancy Sasaki, the CEO of United Way of San Diego County, and Jose Cruz, CEO of the San Diego Council on Literacy. Throughout this episode, Nancy and Jose reflect on their journey over the past 100 episodes, celebrating their milestones and reminiscing on their favorite moments.
The discussion covers a wide range of subjects, including the effects of dyslexia on learning a...
The discussion covers a wide range of subjects, including the effects of dyslexia on learning a...
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March 18, 2024 • 45 mins
In this milestone 100th episode, Nancy and Jose are joined in the studio by Tony Thurmond, the Superintendent of Public Instruction for the California Department of Education
Listen in as Thurmond discusses his own reading history, crediting his mother's influence and his own upbringing for his early passion with comic books and biographies. He emphasizes the value of taking in knowledge from a variety of narratives, particularly in...
Listen in as Thurmond discusses his own reading history, crediting his mother's influence and his own upbringing for his early passion with comic books and biographies. He emphasizes the value of taking in knowledge from a variety of narratives, particularly in...
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March 10, 2024 • 35 mins
In this excellent episode, Nancy and Jose are joined in the studio by Dr. Eduardo Reyes, the Superintendent of the Chula Vista Elementary School District. Dr. Eduardo Reyes offers insightful commentary on educational leadership, community involvement, and the critical role that literacy plays in influencing students' futures throughout the whole program.
Listen as Dr. Reyes highlights how education is changing and how kids are rece...
Listen as Dr. Reyes highlights how education is changing and how kids are rece...
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March 4, 2024 • 44 mins
In this excellent episode, Nancy and Jose are joined in the studio by Dr. Ricky Shabazz, the president of San Diego City College.
Listen as Dr. Shabazz talks about how artificial intelligence (AI) is affecting education, especially when it comes to content correctness and sentence form. This episode also discusses the significance of artificial intelligence (AI) in teaching critical thinking, as well as the difficulties experienced ...
Listen as Dr. Shabazz talks about how artificial intelligence (AI) is affecting education, especially when it comes to content correctness and sentence form. This episode also discusses the significance of artificial intelligence (AI) in teaching critical thinking, as well as the difficulties experienced ...
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February 25, 2024 • 36 mins
In this excellent episode, Nancy and Jose are joined in the studio by Dr. Lydia Burgos, the Principal of J. Calvin Lauderbach Elementary. Take a listen as Dr. Burgos talks about how she went from wanting to be a teacher at a young age to being a principal throughout a 16-year career in education.
Dr. Burgos' current school, Lauderbach Elementary offers a 50/50 bilingual curriculum and is a dual immersion school. She highlights the d...
Dr. Burgos' current school, Lauderbach Elementary offers a 50/50 bilingual curriculum and is a dual immersion school. She highlights the d...
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February 20, 2024 • 39 mins
In this excellent episode, Nancy and Jose are joined in the studio by Sonia Teder-Moore, the Children's Outreach and Event Coordinator at Warwick's Bookstore in La Jolla.
Sonia highlights the value of independent bookshops in creating thriving communities by sharing her visit to Warwicks, the oldest family-run bookstore in the United States. The show also discusses Warwicks' participation in programs like as Read Across America, in ...
Sonia highlights the value of independent bookshops in creating thriving communities by sharing her visit to Warwicks, the oldest family-run bookstore in the United States. The show also discusses Warwicks' participation in programs like as Read Across America, in ...
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February 12, 2024 • 37 mins
In this excellent episode, Nancy and Jose are joined in the studio by Austin Martin, the CEO of "Rhymes with Reason." Rhymes with Reason is an online application created to use song lyrics to teach vocabulary and improve literacy in pupils. Austin explains that while the app is the main focus, they also do workshops, build curricula, and engage in other activities to make it a whole programming experience. Schools, after-school ac...
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February 5, 2024 • 39 mins
In this excellent episode, Nancy and Jose are joined in the studio by Walter Ritter, the Executive Director of Write Out Loud, a unique theater company in San Diego.
Hear a discussion on the organization's strategy, which emphasizes the power of storytelling by having readers read aloud from literature to a range of audiences. Hear Walter discuss the worth he places on different books, and even hear him say he would be willing to se...
Hear a discussion on the organization's strategy, which emphasizes the power of storytelling by having readers read aloud from literature to a range of audiences. Hear Walter discuss the worth he places on different books, and even hear him say he would be willing to se...
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January 30, 2024 • 28 mins
In this excellent episode, Nancy and Jose are joined by an extraordinary guest, Ruth J. Colvin, who at 107 years old is not only the founder of Literacy Volunteers of America, but also a Presidential Medal of Freedom Honoree. Ruth tells the story of her amazing journey from Syracuse, New York, to becoming a worldwide literacy advocate.
As Ruth discusses her many years of expertise running literacy initiatives and her role as the org...
As Ruth discusses her many years of expertise running literacy initiatives and her role as the org...
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January 22, 2024 • 39 mins
In this excellent episode, Nancy and Jose are joined in the studio by Dr. Alberto Ochoa, a professor at the San Diego State University College of Education.
As he discusses his early years in Mexico City, Dr. Ochoa emphasizes the tactical significance of building literacy in one's own tongue as a basis for learning a second language. This episode also touches on the background of equality in education history, highlighting the effor...
As he discusses his early years in Mexico City, Dr. Ochoa emphasizes the tactical significance of building literacy in one's own tongue as a basis for learning a second language. This episode also touches on the background of equality in education history, highlighting the effor...
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January 15, 2024 • 27 mins
In this excellent episode, Nancy is joined in the studio by Dr. Kelli Sandman-Hurley, the founder of the Dyslexia Training Institute.
Learn about the symptoms of dyslexia, which can range from early rhyme difficulties to spelling difficulties as you get older. Early detection and intervention are extremely important, according to Dr. Sandman-Hurley. In addition, this episode covers how parents can support their dyslexic children in...
Learn about the symptoms of dyslexia, which can range from early rhyme difficulties to spelling difficulties as you get older. Early detection and intervention are extremely important, according to Dr. Sandman-Hurley. In addition, this episode covers how parents can support their dyslexic children in...
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In this excellent episode, Nancy is joined in the studio by Dr. Shakerra Carter, the Vice President of Student Services at the San Diego College of Continuing Education. The San Diego College of Continuing Education, is the non-credit division of the San Diego Community College District and operates on seven campuses.
Hear Dr. Carter emphasize the institution's emphasis on free education, providing a variety of programs to assist a ...
Hear Dr. Carter emphasize the institution's emphasis on free education, providing a variety of programs to assist a ...
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In this excellent episode, Nancy and Jose are joined in the studio by Shana Hazan, the Vice President of the San Diego Unified School Board, President of Hazan Strategies, and Vice Chair of the California Children & Families Commission.
Listen in as Shana shares insights into her work on the school board, expressing the commitment of the board members to transform the educational system for better student outcomes. She discusses...
Listen in as Shana shares insights into her work on the school board, expressing the commitment of the board members to transform the educational system for better student outcomes. She discusses...
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