Growing Up In America: The Way It Is

On this episode, Brian Greene , President & CEO of the Houston Food Bank, and co-host Bri Derry , Director of Media Activism at CHILDREN AT RISK, discuss education, youth leadership, and civic engagement. HISD Updates: Megan Menchaca , Senior Education Reporter at the Houston Chronicle, explains HISD's adoption of the Bluebonnet curriculum, budget challenges, and what families should know head...

On this episode, Brian Greene , President & CEO of the Houston Food Bank, and co-host Bri Derry , Director of Media Activism at CHILDREN AT RISK, explore the intersection of public health, social justice, and immigration policy. Understanding MAHA Policy: Dr. Chris Kulesza , aka "Dr. Data," breaks down the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda, discussing child nutrition, school meals, SNAP...

On this episode, Owala Maima and co-host Abbi Antoun, Development Intern at CHILDREN AT RISK, dive into some key issues impacting children and families across Texas. HISD Updates: Megan Menchaca , Senior Education Reporter at the Houston Chronicle, breaks down HISD's new Kinder Bridge program, early literacy initiatives, and what the latest STAAR results reveal about student learning across the di...

On this episode, Dr. Bob Sanborn and co-host Dr. Chris Kulesza, aka "Dr. Data," explore key issues affecting students, families, and public health in Texas. HISD Updates: Megan Menchaca, Senior Education Reporter at the Houston Chronicle, discusses the latest STAAR results, the state takeover of HISD, enrollment trends, and changes to universal free meal programs. The Learning Recession: Dr. Cathy...

On this episode, Dr. Bob Sanborn and co-host Brian Greene , President & CEO of the Houston Food Bank, explore key issues impacting children, families, and communities across Houston and Texas. Community Well-Being & Belonging: Stephen Ives , President & CEO of the YMCA of Greater Houston, joins the show to discuss children's physical fitness, the impact of screen time and mental health...

On this episode, Dr. Bob Sanborn and co-host Brian Greene , President & CEO of the Houston Food Bank, tackle some of the biggest issues affecting children and families. HISD Under Dept. of Ed Civil Rights Investigation: Megan Menchaca , Senior Education Reporter at the Houston Chronicle, joins the show to discuss the latest developments in Houston Independent School District, including the fed...

In this episode, Dr. Bob Sanborn is joined by co-host Brian Greene , President and CEO of the Houston Food Bank, to discuss some of the most urgent issues impacting children and families in Texas and across the US. We’re diving into: State of Immigrant Families : Krystal Gomez , Managing Attorney at the Texas Immigration Law Council, discusses the growing emotional and mental health toll immigrati...

In this special episode, Dr. Chris Kulesza (aka "Dr. Data") is joined by co-host Owala Maima , Media Communications Coordinator at CHILDREN AT RISK, to dive into the massive opportunities and challenges surrounding children’s wellbeing in the age of rapid technological change and Artificial Intelligence. We’re diving into: HB 1481 & School Cell Phone Bans: Texas House Representative Caroline F...

In this episode, Owala is joined by co-host Natalie Gonzalez , Development Coordinator at CHILDREN AT RISK, to discuss the latest issues impacting children from the global stage to local neighborhoods. We’re diving into: Growing Up Around the World: Dr. Bob Sanborn, President and CEO of CHILDREN AT RISK, calls in from Europe to discuss the Iranian crisis, the impact of the Trump administration on...

This week, Owala and Natalie (CHILDREN AT RISK) explore the systems impacting children from Houston to Central Europe. In this episode: Growing Up in Slovenia & Czech Republic: Dr. Bob Sanborn, President and CEO of CHILDREN AT RISK, calls in from the Czech Republic to discuss European birth rates, family leave policies, and what Texas can learn from international models. The Child Care Crisis:...

Join hosts Owala and Natalie Gonzalez of CHILDREN AT RISK for a deep dive into the policies and personal stories shaping the lives of Texas youth. This week, we explore how our community can better support and protect children around the world. On this episode: Growing Up Around the World: Dr. Bob Sanborn calls in from Eastern Europe to share insights on global childhood, birth rates and family le...

How do we protect the well-being of the next generation in an era of misinformation and shifting policy? This week, host Dr. Bob Sanborn and co-host Santrice Jones-Hare (Director of Strong Start at CHILDREN AT RISK) tackle the most pressing issues facing youth. In this episode: Autism & Vaccine Misinformation: Dr. Michael Chang , Professor of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at UT McGovern Medica...

In this episode, Dr. Bob Sanborn is joined by co-host Dr. Erica Hattery. We're diving into: Texas School Vouchers: Elizabeth Sander ( Houston Chronicle ) unpacks who’s really benefiting from the TEFA voucher program and key early trends. Cesar Chavez & Accountability: Cherry Steinwende r (Center for the Healing of Racism) explores how communities can process the new allegations of abuse. Immig...

In this episode, Dr. Bob Sanborn is joined by co-host Brian Greene , President and CEO of the Houston Food Bank, to discuss the latest issues impacting children and families. We’re diving into: HISD Updates: Megan Menchaca , Senior Reporter at the Houston Chronicle shares insights on Superintendent Mike Miles’ State of the District and new nonprofit partnerships in Houston ISD. Restorative Justice...

In this episode, Dr. Bob Sanborn is joined by co-host Natalie González , Development Coordinator at CHILDREN AT RISK. Between swapping stories about the evolving world of education and investigating the soft v. hard “looksmaxxing'' trend on social media, we’re diving into: Empowering Educators in 2026: Jessica Dirks , Partnership Director at K12 Coalition, brings her unique background in law and t...

In this episode, Dr. Bob Sanborn and guest host Dr. Erica Hattery cover some of the most pressing issues in Houston and across Texas, from the future of artificial intelligence to major changes in public education and youth policy. How AI companies are making AI safer: AI safety expert and Houston City Council District C candidate Patrick Oathout joins to break down how AI systems are tested, the...

In this episode, Dr. Bob Sanborn is joined by our newest co-host, Natalie González , former DJ and current CHILDREN AT RISK Development Coordinator. Between debating the gender-coded nuances of being “delulu” and Natalie’s uncanny resemblance to the lead singer of The Marías (check our IG and TikTok for the receipts!), we’re diving into: AI in the Classroom: Adrienne Williams , Research Fellow at...

Hosts Dr. Bob Sanborn and Dr. Erica Hattery explore the intersection of social media, youth mental health, and child care policy. In this episode: Social Media Literacy: How do families, educators and policy makers combat social media addiction in K-12 students? Child Care Advocacy: How are advocates and organizers making child care more affordable in Austin-- Texas most expensive city for child c...

This week, guest hosts Megan Menchaca and Elizabeth Sander , education reporters at the Houston Chronicle , dive deep into the controversial Texas Education Freedom Account (TEFA) voucher program. Going beyond the political headlines, they explore: The Data: Do voucher programs truly expand high-quality options for lower-income families? The Systemic Changes: How will this shift impact funding and...

This episode of Growing Up in America tackles the urgent issues impacting Texas children, from the fallout of the federal government shutdown on immigration services to the shifting landscape of DEI and racial healing following the passing of Rev. Jesse Jackson. Dr. Bob Sanborn and Nely Sanchez host expert guests to discuss why 4,000 immigrant students have left HISD, the current satisfaction leve...

Hosts Dr. Bob Sanborn (CHILDREN AT RISK) and Owala Maima (CHILDREN AT RISK) reflect on Bad Bunny's historic performance before diving into how public health, immigration systems, and environmental policies affect children and families in Texas. This episode features Dr. John Higgins , Cardiologist and Professor at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston , Senior education reporter Megan Mencha...

In this episode of Growing Up in America: The Way it Is, our hosts Dr. Bob Sanborn, President and CEO of CHILDREN AT RISK, and Brian Greene, President and CEO of the Houston Food Bank, discuss the rapid evolution of public policy and what it means for civic engagement. Dr. Michael Chang, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Pediatric Infectious Diseases at McGovern Medical School, examines curren...

In this episode of Growing Up in America: The Way it Is, our hosts Dr. Bob Sanborn, President and CEO of CHILDREN AT RISK, and Brian Greene, President and CEO of the Houston Food Bank, examine how public systems shape opportunity and inequities. Adrienne Williams, Research Fellow at DAIR (Distributed AI Research) breaks down how emerging AI technologies risk fueling inequities in education. Nadia...

This week on Growing Up in America: The Way It Is , our guest hosts Bri Derry, Director of Media Activism (CHILDREN AT RISK) and Owala Maima, Producer on Growing Up in America , explore the policies and systems shaping children’s health and learning in Texas. Featuring Dr. Jaimie Davis (Acting Director of the School of Human Ecology at UT Austin) on nutrition and obesity, Jane Kim (Educator and Fo...

This week on Growing Up in America: The Way It Is , host Dr. Bob Sanborn (CHILDREN AT RISK) is joined by Dr. Chris Kulesza (Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University) for a special look ahead at 2026. Together with a panel of national and Texas-based experts, this episode explores pediatric health and vaccination trends, AI integration, major cultural moments in sports and entertainment...