Right Moves: A LiiNK Center for Healthy Play Podcast

Starting as an orphanage in 1898, Bethany Children’s Health Center in Bethany, Oklahoma is now one of the largest free-standing, inpatient pediatric rehabilitation centers in the country. Dr. Rhea sits down with Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors at Bethany Children’s Health Center, Albert Gray, to hear about the inspiring journey that he and his sister, Carol have been on over the past...

A positive school environment that fosters improved whole health of its teachers and students starts at the top. Dr. Rhea brings back Paul Buckley, Founder and Managing Owner of Ratio Staffing, to continue sharing his experience in education and what led him to start Ratio Staffing to help improve the school environment and connection between schools and teachers. Interested in utilizing Ratio Sta...

Passion toward education and the whole health of students is a key trait of educators and school administrators. So if the passion is there, why are educator burnout rates so high? Dr. Rhea sits down with Paul Buckley, Founder and Managing Owner of Ratio Staffing, to share his personal experiences shifting from working in an afterschool program focused on the health and wellbeing of the children a...

“We have forgotten that children are designed by nature to learn through self-directed play and exploration, and so, more and more, we deprive them of freedom to learn, subjecting them instead to the tedious and painfully slow learning methods devised by those who run the schools.” – Dr. Peter Gray For decades, the American education system has prioritized standardized test scores by increasing “c...

For 13 years, LiiNK has partnered with school districts toimplement and assess the LiiNK Project, i.e., giving students four 15-minute, unstructured outdoor play breaks (recess) spread throughout each school day and a daily 15-min character lesson. This partnership requires an MOU between LiiNK and the school district, up to three full days of in-person training with all teachers and administrator...

Today’s students deal with a myriad of issues includinga rise in anxiety and depression, an ever-growing and often debilitating dependence on technology, and an education system that cares more for increasing standardized test scores than meeting the actual needs of its students. Programs like Young Storytellers are fighting the failing system with a creative approach to boost child interest in sc...

Young Storytellers is a Los Angeles-based arts non-profit organization that has provided thousands of students with a unique, creative play opportunity since its inception in 1997. Through Young Storytellers, students are mentored to write a complete script over a 9-week process, then get to see their story come to life with real actors in an exciting showcase! Dr. Rhea sits down with President –...

Hands-on learning is vital to increase our agility and flexibility in problem-solving, which may be just what students are lacking as technology and standardized testing continue to take precedence in our education system. Dr. Rhea returns with friend and colleague, Pete Silvius, to dive deeper into Seguin’s Irma Lewis Outdoor Learning Center and the ways students can thrive within the center. Pet...

Are we truly meeting the needs of our students by spending most of our time in the classroom? Dr. Rhea brings in long-time friend and colleague, Pete Silvius, to share how he evolved in his role as Director of Whole Child Initiatives in Seguin ISD. He has advocated for outdoor opportunities throughout his career in Seguin ISD and especially with his newest opportunity to build many different progr...

We are BACK with another exciting season of the Right Moves podcast! Dr. Rhea shares what you can expect to hear from the show this season as we dive even deeper into our whole health and finding ways to live our best, healthiest lives. She also explores what’s on the horizon for LiiNK this fall, including new workshop opportunities and publications in the works, different ways to connect and advo...

The GLP-1 market has significantly grown in recent years, with medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro marketed specifically for type II diabetes treatment and weight management. With this growth, researchers are now considering GLP-1s to treat a wide range of conditions including cardiovascular health, kidney disease, inflammatory diseases, and even neurological disorders. Dr. Rhea brings back fell...

Getting in shape fast sounds too good to be true, because it is. Rapid weight-loss endeavors such as fad or exclusionary diets, GLP-1 medication, or most trends seen on social media may give you results for now, but you will most likely gain that weight right back as soon as you stop the medication, diet, or trend. If you truly want to lead a healthy, happy, physically-functional life, you need to...

For the 2024-2025 school year, Dr. Debbie Rhea received a BCBS-TX Blue Impact Grant to fund a lite version of LiiNK in 10 South Texas schools from one school district. The purpose of this project was to train teachers and administrators on recess, defined as unstructured outdoor play, and why having this type of recess more often in the day is important for adults and children, then introduce loos...

The LiiNK intervention is about more than just giving kids extra recess. While multiple unstructured play breaks throughout the school day is vital for students and teachers to thrive, it’s the daily character curriculum that truly provides the foundation for success in the LiiNK intervention. Dr. Rhea discusses the importance of empathy, intrinsic motivation, and character building for our youth...

Human trafficking is a significant problem in the U.S. and can happen to anyone, anywhere. While women and girls are more frequently trafficked, men and boys account for about 40% of human trafficking victims and are unfortunately often overlooked and underserved. Bob’s House of Hope, established in 2021, became the first safe house for male sex trafficking survivors in the country, providing ther...

Children learn how to learn on the playground – it’s really that simple! Dr. Rhea brings back long-time friend and colleague, Dr. Jim Chadwell, to share how he fought to get the LiiNK Project in his district. Dr. Chadwell witnessed firsthand the positive changes the LiiNK intervention of multiple outdoor play breaks and character lessons daily brought to EMS-ISD. Dr. Jim Chadwell was born in Fort...

S.B. 2, also known as the School Choice or School Voucher bill, has passed the Texas Senate and was referred to the House Public Education Committee. In the last two years, twelve U.S. states have enacted or expanded school voucher programs in their state. So what exactly does this mean for students and parents? Dr. Rhea sits down with long-time friend and colleague, Dr. Jim Chadwell, to discuss d...

Do you struggle to maintain healthy and active lifestyle routines? Behavior modification programs, particularly employee wellness programs such as Wondr Health , may be the answer. Dr. Rhea brings back Dr. Tim Church, preventative health researcher and Chief Medical Officer of Wondr Health, to share the impact of Wondr Health's programs, the importance of leadership buy-in behavior modificatio...

The less we move and exercise our bodies, the less we will be able to move and exercise them as we age. It's that simple! Dr. Rhea sits down with preventative health researcher, Dr. Tim Church, to share his incredible research findings and exercise tips. Dr. Church reminds us that our bodies are meant to move and that exercise is truly the key to unlocking optimal health and aging.  Dr. Church...

“Keep showing up in your pink shirts until they’re tired of seeing pink shirts” - this is the advice Rachel, Morgan, and Kathryn, a.k.a the Recess Moms, live by while advocating for increased recess for children in schools. Seeing the negative effects of decreased recess minutes on their children’s mental and physical health, the Recess Moms banded together and decided to fight. They donned pink s...

How much recess is your child getting in school? Chances are, it’s not enough! Dr. Rhea brings on Rachel Bush, Morgan Garner, and Kathryn Truman, a.k.a. the Recess Moms from Tennessee, to share how they’ve banded together for a cause. With 10 children between them, they realized that their children were suffering in school because of very little recess. This session discusses how they began the jo...

Dr. Rhea brings back Matt Sandoval to discuss his role as Executive Director of Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona , and share the history of the organization. Free Arts is a nonprofit which provides trauma-informed art activities through trained adult mentors for children and teens who have experienced the trauma of abuse, neglect, and homelessness. Matt Sandoval is an Arizona native who ha...

Dr. Rhea sits down with Matt Sandoval, Executive Director of Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona which provides trauma-informed art activities through trained adult mentors for children and teens who have experienced the trauma of abuse, neglect, and homelessness. Matt shares his personal and professional journey that led him to social work, and discusses the therapeutic nature of expressive...

In light of Human Trafficking Awareness month, Dr. Rhea sits down with Bob Williams, founder and CEO of Ranch Hands Rescue and Bob’s House of Hope. Bob shares his incredible and profound personal journey of trauma, resilience, and hope which led to the founding of his non-profit programs. He discusses the problem with human trafficking and sexual violence of boys and men. Many programs focus on wo...

In this second installment of our exciting two-part season finale special, we bring back Dr. Michelle Bauml as our moderator and put Dr. Rhea back in the hot seat! This time, Dr. Rhea answers your burning questions about bringing the LiiNK Project to your school. How do we incorporate four recess breaks into the school day without compromising content time? Why do we suggest 15-minute breaks inste...