This week, Tom Vander Ark is joined by a group of young change-makers and Dr. Erin Raab, Chief Strategy Impact Officer of the Choice-filled Lives Network. Together, they discuss the “100 Days of Conversations” project, a collaborative project organized to catalyze conversations in communities across the country on each of the first 100 days of the new administration.
Alongside Erin, three young men are setting the stage for impactful and life-changing conversations in Minnesota. These young men are Jose Perez, Cole Stevens, and Walter Cortina. And together they run an organization called Bridgemakers.
Erin, Jose, Cole, and Walter share about the “100 Days of Conversations” project, Bridgemakers, and how it has impacted them, their communities, and the youth, parents, and system heads alike. The Getting Smart team loves the energy and urgency of this conversation as well as the continued emphasis on student voice. You will not want to miss out on this one!
Key Takeaways:
[:08] About today’s episode.
[:53] Tom welcomes Dr. Erin Raab and the three young men to the podcast.
[1:11] Dr. Erin Raab speaks about her career and how reimagining education became a central part of her mission.
[2:43] Dr. Raab speaks about where the insight that community conversations are key to unlocking potential comes from.
[4:18] Dr. Raab shares about how she ran into the three young gentlemen accompanying her on the podcast today and what led them to work together.
[6:00] Walter introduces himself and explains what Bridgemakers is all about.
[6:49] Cole introduces himself and continues to share about what they do with Bridgemakers, the achievements they’ve had over the year, and how they tie in with the “100 Days of Conversations” project.
[10:40] Jose introduces himself and shares how he connected with Bridgemakers.
[12:58] Walter speaks about the other goals Bridgemaker is setting out to achieve.
[15:03] Walter shares how he got involved with this work.
[15:30] Walter shares how the High School for the Recording Arts (HSRA) has helped him do what he does today.
[16:22] Cole speaks about his high school experience and why it has driven a lot of his passion for school.
[17:57] Where did Cole’s passion for difference-making and reimagining education come from?
[21:17] Dr. Raab shares more about the ins and outs of the “100 Days of Conversations” project.
[24:30] Walter shares more about his experience with being both a participant and host with the “100 Days of Conversations” project.
[25:42] Jose shares his own experience with the “100 Days of Conversations” project.
[28:03] Cole shares his own experience with the “100 Days of Conversations” project and how Bridgemakers helped him with his agency and confidence.
[29:28] Walter speaks about how both the youth and the adults come away from these conversations feeling enlightened and empowered.
[30:31] Are school administrators and system heads generally sponsoring these conversations? How are they involved and what are the hoped-for outcomes for them as well as the students and parents involved?
[33:19] How being a conversation host has changed Walter and the way he thinks about his path forward. Walter also shares what’s next on his roadmap.
[35:00] Dr. Raab shares what’s next for the “100 Days of Conversations” project. She also shares what she’s learned through this initiative and the aspirations for change that she hopes will come as a result of it.
[38:32] Cole shares about his next steps and how he is going to take his Bridgemakers experience forward.
[42:05] Tom thanks all three young men for their leadership at Bridgemakers.
[42:17] Tom thanks Dr. Erin Raab for her work and she shares where to learn more about the “100 Days of Conversations” project.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Dr. Erin Raab | Choice-filled Lives Network
“100 Days of Conversations” Project | Choice-filled Lives Network
High School for the Recording Arts (HSRA)
Difference Making at the Heart of Learning: Students, Schools, and Communities Alive With Possibility, by Tom Vander Ark and Emily Liebtag
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