The Grow Kinder Podcast

This mini-episode of Grow Kinder (at Home) features Rachel Kamb, product manager at Committee for Children. Rachel discusses why social-emotional skills can be beneficial for adults, ways to practice gratitude during this difficult time, and easy ways for listeners to take care of their own wellness. To access a free, digital gratitude exercise inspired by the forthcoming Committee for Children social-emotional learning (SEL) for adults program, visit SecondStepSELA.org.

In this mini-episode of Grow Kinder (at Home), hosts Andrea Lovanhill and Mia Doces discuss their families’ responses to stay-at-home orders and a recent article in The Atlantic about childhood anxiety. Andrea and Mia work through challenging questions including whether the world is more stressful now for kids, how parents can use social-emotional skills to support anxious kids during and after the pandemic, and why offering kindness and compassion to anxious children is not accommodation. To read “What Happened to American Childhood?” by Kate Julian, click here: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/05/childhood-in-an-anxious-age/609079/

During COVID-19-related school closures, many educators are working harder than ever to support their kids’ academic, social, and emotional learning from a distance. In honor of Teachers Appreciation Week and teachers everywhere, this mini-episode of Grow Kinder features a pre-pandemic conversation with Rachel Lovan, an elementary school teacher from rural Kentucky. Rachel is an educator with more than seven years of experience, and she believes social-emotional learning can positively transform the lives of students. Rachel talks with us about formative experiences early on in her career as a teacher, the importance of self-care in preventing teacher burnout, and what her grandmother taught her about kindness.

Hosts Andrea Lovanhill and Mia Doces announce Grow Kinder (at Home), a new series of Grow Kinder mini-episodes designed to help listeners through the dramatic changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. In each mini-episode, Andrea and Mia talk about how kindness affects their day-to-day lives while sheltering in place. They also explore how social-emotional learning and empathy can help listeners navigate crises and weather any storm.

From school closures to social distancing, the outbreak of the novel coronavirus has altered our everyday lives and highlighted the significance of not only implementing public health best practices like handwashing, but also taking care of our mental health. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, this episode of Grow Kinder features Committee for Children's Director of Policy and Advocacy, Jordan Posamentier. Posamentier talks with us about student mental wellness, youth suicide prevention, and how the pandemic has affected these issues. He walks us through recent data on youth suicide, how social-emotional learning can act as a protective factor, and what educators and policymakers are doing to support prevention. To learn more about how social-emotional learning can address and mitigate risk factors for youth suicide, visit https://www.cfchildren.org/policy-advocacy/sel-and-youth-suicide-prevention/. To support Posamentier’s and Committee for Children’s policy and advocacy work, visit https://www.cfchildren.org/policy-advocacy/. For help, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for free anytime by calling 800-273-8255 or texting "TALK" to 741741.

With the spread of COVID-19 and school closures, we’re in a time of great uncertainty and change. But one thing remains constant: We all want to keep kids healthy and safe. This special episode of Grow Kinder features Dr. Tia Kim, Vice President of Education, Research, and Impact at Committee for Children. Dr. Kim tells us about Hot Chocolate Talk, a public awareness campaign that emboldens parents to use this extra time at home to talk with their kids about sexual abuse. She discusses some of the most effective, evidence-based ways to protect against child sexual abuse. Dr. Kim also shares how she approaches these topics with her own kids. For free resources to support you during the COVID-19 crisis, visit SecondStep.org/Covid19Support. To learn how you can talk with your kids about sexual abuse, visit HotChocolateTalk.org.

On this episode of Grow Kinder, we talk with Dr. Stephanie Hull, President and CEO of Girls Inc., a national organization focused on inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. Dr. Hull talks with us about helping young people “bloom where they are planted,” and about how neighborhood schools and out-of-school interventions help to cultivate talent wherever it’s found. Learn more about Dr. Hull's work at https://girlsinc.org/.

On this episode of Grow Kinder, we talk with Dr. Monique Morris, an award-winning author and social justice scholar with three decades of experience in the areas of education, civil rights, and juvenile and social justice. She is the Founder and President of the  National Black Women’s Justice Institute (NBWJI), an organization that works to interrupt school-to-confinement pathways for girls and reduce the barriers to employment for formerly incarcerated women.  Dr. Morris talks with us about her latest book, Sing a Rhythm, Dance a Blues. She also discusses why exclusionary discipline is such an issue for girls of color, and how educators and parents can work together to improve conditions in schools around discipline. Dr. Morris’ new book, Sing a Rhythm, Dance a Blues, has been called a groundbreaking and visionary call to action on educating and supporting girls of color.

On this episode of Grow Kinder, we talk with Eric Liu, co-founder and CEO of Citizen University, and director of the Aspen Institute’s Citizenship & American Identity Program. Eric is a leader in local and national citizen reform movements. He served as a White House speechwriter for President Bill Clinton and later as the President’s deputy domestic policy adviser. Eric talks with us about his new book, Become America: Civic Sermons on Love, Responsibility, and Democracy. He also talks about his efforts to build a culture of powerful, responsible citizenship across the country. To learn more about Eric and his work, visit citizenuniversity.us.

On this episode of Grow Kinder, we talk with Angela Duckworth, author of the New York Times bestseller, Grit. She is the Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, where she studies grit and self-control, and she is also the Founder and CEO  of  Character Lab, a nonprofit whose mission is to advance the science and practice of character development. A 2013 MacArthur Fellow, Angela has advised the White House, the World Bank, NBA and NFL teams, and Fortune 500 CEOs.  Angela talks with us about the role parents play in character development, and what it means to be career ready today.   Learn more about Angela Duckworth’s work at characterlab.org.

On this episode of Grow Kinder, we talk with Deborah Delisle, president and CEO of the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed), a Washington, DC–based national policy, practice, and advocacy organization. The Alliance is dedicated to ensuring that all students, particularly those who are traditionally underserved, graduate from high school well prepared for success in college, work, and citizenship.    Deborah talks with us about making SEL equitable for underserved communities, and advice she has for educators and parents who want to get involved in policy conversations but don’t know where to start.     To learn more about Deborah Delisle and the Alliance for Excellent Education, visit all4ed.org.

On this episode of Grow Kinder, we talk with Elissa Salas, CEO of College Track, a comprehensive college completion program that helps students from underserved communities graduate. As a first-generation college graduate herself, Elissa has dedicated her career to improving educational outcomes for students of color from low-income communities.  Elissa talks with us about the experiences of first-generation college students, the importance of mentorship, and how social-emotional skills play a large role in a student’s college success.   Visit collegetrack.org to learn more about Elissa’s work.

On this episode of Grow Kinder, we talk with Dr. Susan Swearer, a licensed psychologist and bullying prevention expert. Dr. Swearer is the Willa Cather professor of educational psychology at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and is the co-director of the Bullying Research Network, which connects bullying and peer-victimization researchers internationally. For the past two decades Dr. Swearer has developed and implemented a data-based decision-making model for responding to bullying among school-aged youth, and she’s trained educators in strategies for helping reduce bullying behavior. She’s authored more than 100 book chapters and articles on the topics of bullying, depression, and anxiety in school-aged youth. Dr. Swearer talks with us about what bullying is and the signs of bullying, how parents can use media as a learning tool for kids, and how social-emotional skills can help prevent bullying. Learn more about Dr. Swearer’s work at the Bullying Research Network (https://cehs.unl.edu/BRNET/), part of the Nebraska Bullying Prevention And Intervention Initiative (https://cehs.unl.edu/empowerment/).

Live at the 2019 SEL Exchange Conference in Chicago, we talk with Dr. Lisa Delpit, an award-winning author, American educationalist, and MacArthur award recipient. Dr. Delpit is executive director of the Center for Urban Educational Excellence in Miami and a distinguished professor at Southern University, Baton Rouge. As an African American researcher, she’s transformed the educational system for minority groups with her groundbreaking work in elementary education with a focus on language and literacy development. On this special episode, Dr. Delpit talks with us about the current state of educational equity, her advice for teaching to diverse groups of students, and the importance of social-emotional learning in student voices. Learn more about Dr. Delpit’s work by reading her book "Other People’s Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom" and her latest title, "Teaching When the World Is on Fire", a collection of advice for K–12 teachers on engaging students around today's toughest issues.

On this episode of Grow Kinder, we talk to Peter DeWitt, author, keynote speaker, former K–5 principal—and a strong proponent of social-emotional learning. His blog Finding Common Ground has been featured on EdWeek since 2011. Peter runs competency-based workshops and provides keynotes nationally and internationally, focusing on collaborative leadership, inclusive school climates, and connected learning. Peter talks with us about how important it is for children to have a social-emotional connection to their education, the topics he explores in his blog at Education Week, and how mindfulness has had a significant impact on his life. Learn more about Peter’s work at PeterMDewitt.com and read his blog Finding Common Ground at EdWeek.org.