Inclusion School Podcast

In this Real Talk episode of The Inclusion School podcast, Simone and Julie dive into the topic of parental guilt and the challenges of balancing work, family, and caregiving responsibilities. As entrepreneurs, they acknowledge the privilege of having flexibility in navigating these roles. They discuss the impact of COVID-19 on their travel schedules and how it has allowed them to spend more time...

Welcome to this week's episode of the Inclusion School Podcast! In today's Real Talk segment, Julie and Simone dive into the weighty topic of navigating conversations about the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. With their daughters being directly impacted by this conflict, they discuss the importance of acknowledging its complexity and the need to educate their children about the privileges th...

In this week's episode, hosts Julie Kratz and Simone Morris provide a real talk episode delving into the topic of having inclusive conversations with our children, specifically focusing on the tough topic of discussing the events in the Middle East. Julie and Simone acknowledge the challenges that caregivers and parents face when trying to explain complex and troubling world events to children. Th...

Welcome back to another episode of the Inclusion School Podcast! We are thrilled to have you join us as we continue our mission of promoting diverse and inclusive education. Today, Simone & Julie have a very special guest with them, Nadia Bennett, a former school leader, and the founder of When Brown Girls Lead™, an education consulting firm that leads the way for schools to become anti-racist lea...

Hosts Simone Morris and Julie Kratz are thrilled to launch Season 8 of the Inclusion School Podcast, and they couldn't think of a better topic to start the season than the importance of fostering inclusion in our schools. In this episode, Julie & Simone discuss strategies to set expectations with your child's teacher and create an inclusive environment from the get-go. They share insights from the...

Simone and Julie close out Season 7 of the Inclusion School Podcast with the co-founders of Candidly Connecting, Veronica Appleton & Khalilah Lyons.  Veronica and Khalilah founded Candidly Connecting with the mission to create inclusivity at the playgrounds.  They have a goal of empowering 1 million essential adults with this mission by 2027.   They share how they came together for this mission an...

Join Julie & Simone for an inspiring conversation with Black History Application Specialist, Ernest Crim III.  Ernest uses Black History to empower and educate families.  He shares stories about the people who inspired him to take the path he is taking and small steps we can take to learn Black History all year long.   Some of the books that Ernest recommends are:  "Why Are All The Black Kids Sitt...

In this episode, Julie & Simone welcome author and memoirist, Nefertiti Austin to the Inclusion School podcast.  Nefertiti's critically acclaimed book, "Motherhood So White: A Memoir of Race, Gender and Parenting in America", addresses the lack of diverse voices in motherhood.   She talks with Julie & Simone about the experiences that led her to write her book and shares her thoughts and advice ab...

Back by popular demand, this week Simone & Julie get "real" with one of their Real Talk episodes.  They delve into some of the hot diversity topics in education today including book banning and CRT. They share thoughts on opportunities to educate yourself and ways to talk with younger children about tough topics, meeting them where they are in their learning and understanding. Share your feedback...

In celebration of Women's History Month, Simone and Julie welcome children's book author, Eve Nadel Catarevas to the podcast. Eve writes picture book biographies about little-known women in history whose stories are not often told.  She shares how she discovers these stories of forgotten figures in history and brings them to life for children.  They are fascinating stories about amazing women! You...

Julie and Simone are delighted to welcome the Associate Director, Behavior Change & Expertise at Understood.org, Dr. Andrew Kahn, to the Inclusion School Podcast.  Dr. Kahn is a licensed psychologist specializing in working with individuals who think and learn differently. In his role at Understood.org, Dr. Kahn focuses on ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, anxiety, general learning and behavioral c...

Julie & Simone are excited to welcome teacher and children's book author, Ana Siqueira to the Inclusion School Podcast.  Ana is also the co-founder of #LatinxPitch on Twitter for Latinx writers and illustrators to showcase the voices, stories, and diversity of Latinx kidlit creators.  Ana discusses her books and the need for more representation in books for all kids.  Kids need to see themselves i...

Simone and Julie welcome Farzana Nayani to the podcast. Farzana is a recognized DEI coach and keynote speaker who was raised in a multifaith, multiracial, and multicultural family. She talks about raising multiracial children and finding pride in who you are.  She shares her own stories of the different dimensions of multicultural and multiracial families along with the teachable moments that aris...

Tiffany Johnson-Harwick joins the Inclusion School Podcast this week as we launch Season 7,  sharing her story of her shift from the corporate world to Education. She is dual certified in special and general education and is a behavioral specialist. She talks of her experiences as a child in the 90's growing up experiencing  racism and her desire to fix things and be a problem solver. Tiffany enco...

Join Simone and Julie as they wrap up this Season with a look back at the episodes and guests and all the valuable lessons learned. Learn about their favorite episodes and what they are looking forward to including in the Inclusion School Podcast in 2023.  The podcast will be returning in 2023 with more great episodes. Until then, enjoy some of the past episodes and let us know what you would like...

Join Simone & Julie this week for a Real Talk episode where they delve into school celebrations, election day and talking about voting rights with your children, and share hair stories. They discuss curiosity and setting boundaries.   Listen to the entire podcast at https://inclusionschool.com/ . To reach us, email  talktous@inclusionschool.com   Grab resources mentioned in the show at  https://in...

In this episode, Simone & Julie welcome Raven Solomon, a global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion thought leader and speaker to the podcast. Raven discusses the intersection between generational identity and other types of identities. How does Gen Z differ from their parents and grandparents? She discusses how understanding these differences and leading with empathy and curiosity will help to devel...

Julie & Simone welcome owner of The Sensory Space, Emma Arnoff to the podcast. Emma shares her story and talks about creating safe environments for neurodivergent children. She introduces steps to create classrooms with every learner in mind.  Reach Emma at https://sensoryspacepk.com/   Resource mentioned: Dr. Robert Jason Grant - Autplay Therapy Listen to the entire podcast at https://inclusionsc...

This week, Simone & Julie welcome their youngest guest, 6th grader Anaya Uttamchandani to the podcast.  Anaya shares her views on how students and classrooms can be more inclusive. She has already taken action and shows how you can be a change maker at any age. Don't miss this refreshing conversation. Listen to the entire podcast at https://inclusionschool.com/ . To reach us, email talktous@inclus...

Simone and Julie welcome Sally Perkins back to the podcast to share her lessons, tips and suggestions on how to have candid conversations with children about current topics. There are big stories in the news, from women's rights to voting rights that children hear either at home or in school. How and when do you start those conversations to help them navigate these subjects? Sally has some great s...

Simone and Julie are excited to have children's book author, Adelle Spindlove on this episode of the podcast.  Adelle shares the story behind her book, Freddie and the High Flying Kick.  It is a book about disability and inclusion based on her personal experience and uses story telling to highlight ways that children can include their disabled friends in games and activities. Find Adelle's book, ...

Julie & Simone are delighted to welcome Brytani Cavil, founder of The Brown Book Box to this episode.  She shares why she felt it was important to find and share books that have diverse characters for children to read.  Her mission and enthusiasm is inspiring. Be sure to listen to the full episode at https://inclusionschool.com/   You can follow Brytani on Facebook and Instagram @thebrownbookbox o...

Tim Villegas joins Simone and Julie on this episode of the Inclusion School podcast. Tim spent 16 years as a special education educator advocating for students with and without disabilities to learn side by side in the general education classroom. He shares his experience, knowledge and a roadmap for inclusive learning for all students.  You can listen to Tim as host of his Think Inclusive podcast...

Join Simone and Julie as they talk with Diversity & Inclusion HR professional, Dionne Penager. As a parent, Dionne is a member of her daughter's school diversity committee. Through personal stories and experiences, she shares the importance of connection and conversations and proactive partnering with educators.  Connect with Dionne on Linked In Listen to the entire podcast at https://inclusionsch...

Julie and Simone start Season 6 with a powerful episode talking with author, speaker and trainer, Kevin Hofmann.  Kevin shares his story about growing up in the Detroit area as a bi-racial child adopted by white parents.  His story is detailed in his book, "Growing Up Black In White".  Kevin talks about working with school age children to help them discover and express their identity.  Connect wit...