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In this episode of Grow Kinder®, we look back on some of the meaningful conversations that helped us through this tumultuous year and some of the moments we grew kinder. We highlight conversations with Angela Duckworth, Dr. Stephanie Hull, Dr. Monique Morris, Rachel Kamb, Anya Kamenetz, Tabatha Rosproy, and Rachel Lovan. To listen to our full conversations with these thought leaders and other experts in education, business, and the arts, visit GrowKinderPodcast.org.

October marks the start of National Bullying Prevention Month and Committee for Children's Captain Compassion® campaign to prevent bullying. Senior Research Scientist Dr. Jasmine Williams joins us on the podcast to talk about the 2020 Captain Compassion campaign, new comic strips that empower kids to stand against racially motivated cyberbullying, and the Secret Decoder Wheel contest to win a one-of-a-kind illustration with Captain Compassion herself. To read the comics, download the Secret Decoder Wheel, and learn more about the campaign, visit CaptainCompassion.org!

The Grow Kinder Podcast will be going on a short hiatus. We'll be back in the Fall with brand new conversations with leaders in education, tech, business, and the arts. Until then, you can listen to past episodes at GrowKinderPodcast.org.

As educators and families across the country get ready for back to school, we're thrilled to share this pre-pandemic conversation with Greg Lucas, from New Visions for Public Schools in New York City. As Deputy Director of School Culture and Climate, Greg oversees social-emotional learning, school safety, and restorative discipline initiatives. Whether students are returning to learning environments with in-person teaching, continuing remote instruction, or learning in a hybrid model, the culture and climate of a school community will be especially important this year. In this episode of Grow Kinder, Greg talks with us about the subtle differences between school culture and school climate, the importance of SEL for adults, and why we should never take kindness for granted.

This back-to-school episode of Grow Kinder features 2020 National Teacher of the Year, Tabatha Rosproy. A teacher with 10 years of experience, Tabatha is the first early childhood educator to be named National Teacher of the Year. She teaches an intergenerational preschool program at Winfield Early Learning Center, which is housed in Cumbernauld Village, a retirement community and nursing home in Winfield, Kansas. In her program, members of the retirement community are daily visitors and volunteers in the children’s classroom. Tabatha speaks with us about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected her multigenerational classroom, the importance of social-emotional learning for all age levels, and why educators should take every possible opportunity to connect with students and their families during remote instruction this fall. To learn more about Tabatha: https://ntoy.ccsso.org/tabatha-rosproy/ To follow Tabatha’s journey as 2020 National Teacher of the Year, follow her on social media: https://twitter.com/TabathaRosproy https://www.facebook.com/NTOY20 https://www.instagram.com/ntoy2020/ To get a sneak peek into Tabatha’s classroom at Cumbernauld Village before the pandemic, watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mC_xENwbjMQ

On this mini-episode of Grow Kinder (at Home), Andrea and Mia discuss why it’s so hard to ask for help at work, at school, and at home. They also speak about a recent TED talk on the value of allowing mental health days for K–12 students, as well as their own experiences with burnout during their school years. Watch the TED talk here: https://www.ted.com/talks/hailey_hardcastle_why_students_should_have_mental_health_days

This episode of Grow Kinder features a pre-pandemic conversation with Anya Kamenetz, National Public Radio (NPR) education correspondent and a host of the NPR podcast Life Kit. Anya joined NPR in 2014 as part of a new initiative to coordinate on-air and online coverage of learning. A contributor to the New York Times, the Washington Post, New York Magazine, and Slate, Anya is the author of several books, including The Art of Screen Time: How Your Family Can Balance Digital Media and Real Life. With families physically distancing and staying inside, children are engaging in the digital world more and more. Anya talks with us about technology’s effect on social-emotional learning, how her research and reporting influence her own parenting style, and common challenges for young families. To learn more about Anya’s work, visit www.anyakamenetz.net.

In this mini-episode of Grow Kinder (at Home), Andrea and Mia discuss the importance of leaning into discomfort in conversations about race and centering the voices of the black, indigenous and POC communities. They also ask Grow Kinder listeners which experts they would like to hear from in upcoming episodes. Email suggestions to growkinder@cfchildren.org.

This mini-episode of Grow Kinder (at Home) features Committee for Children Director of Research Dr. Sherri Widen, PhD. She talks with us about how she became a character on The Imagine Neighborhood podcast in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, what it’s like working on a creative project as a researcher, and what parents can do to help bolster kids’ social-emotional skills through summer. To listen to The Imagine Neighborhood and join Dr. Sherri, P!h!D!, on some Daily Adventures, visit ImagineNeighborhood.org.

In this mini-episode of Grow Kinder (at Home), Andrea and Mia discuss what school might look like for kids once classrooms reopen in the fall. They also introduce two guest hosts for this special episode: Colleen Oliver, CEO of Committee for Children, and Jordan Posamentier, director of policy and advocacy at Committee for Children. Colleen and Jordan interview Mike Magee, CEO of Chiefs for Change, a nonprofit bringing the CEOs of our nation’s state departments of education and city school districts together to influence the future of learning in America. A cofounder and former CEO of Rhode Island Mayoral Academies, Mike has a long history of building statewide networks of regional, diverse-by-design public charter schools and has advocated for dramatic changes to state education policy. Mike discusses how superintendents across the nation responded to the COVID-19 pandemic; a brand-new report that provides education leaders with recommendations to prepare for reopening schools this fall; and the role social-emotional learning will play as students transition back to the classroom. To learn more about Chiefs for Change, visit chiefsforchange.org. To hear more from Mike Magee, follow him on Twitter at @mcmageejr. To read the Chiefs for Change report, visit https://chiefsforchange.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/CFC-TheReturn_5-13-20.pdf

In this mini-episode of Grow Kinder (at Home), hosts Mia Doces and Andrea Lovanhill discuss the joys and challenges of sheltering in place when many generations are under one roof. They talk about how their families have navigated isolating together over the past two months, whether children can parent their parents, and how they think their family relationships will be altered after the stay-at-home order is lifted.

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.