SPS Podcasts

What does it take to keep students healthy, supported, and ready to learn? In this episode of the Future Ready podcast, Superintendent Dr. Adam Swinyard and Stephanie Slater sit down with Becky Doughty, Executive Director of School Support Services, to explore the growing network of health and wellness resources inside Spokane Public Schools. From the school-based health clinics operating at four...

In this episode of the SPS Future Ready podcast, Board Director Nikki Lockwood shares her personal journey as a parent of a neurodiverse child and how it inspired her to run for the Spokane Schools Board. The conversation explores progress and ongoing challenges in special education, including inclusion, family advocacy, funding, language, and the importance of collaboration between parents and ed...

 This episode of the SPS Future Ready Podcast explores Spokane Public Schools' Native Education department and its remarkable achievements. Hosts Superintendent Dr. Swinyard and Stephanie Splater interview Board Director Jenny Slagle and Director of Native Education Tamika LaMere about the district's equity-centered approach to supporting Native students. The discussion covers the distri...

In this episode of SPS Future Ready , Superintendent Dr. Adam Swinyard and co-host Stephanie Splater dive into the transformative vision behind the Together Spokane initiative—a bold collaboration between Spokane Public Schools, the Parks Department, and community partners to reimagine shared spaces for kids, families, and neighborhoods. The episode highlights: Over 200 proposed projects across sc...

Join Spokane Public Schools' Superintendent Adam Swinyard and Executive Director of Athletics Stephanie Slater as they tackle one of the biggest challenges facing today's students: getting quality sleep. In this inaugural episode of the Future Ready podcast, they explore how excessive screen time and late-night phone use are disrupting students' sleep patterns and impacting their ac...

Stephanie and Nicole are joined by SPS Superintendent Adam Swinyard and Parks Director Garrett Jones to talk about Together Spokane, a bond/levy partnership between Spokane Parks and Spokane Public Schools. By working together and with a range of private partners, we can make strategic, fiscally responsible investments that benefit every part of our city—whether it’s ensuring our children have saf...

In the March episode of SPS Extra,  Stephanie and Nicole are talking about the Spokane Public Schools and Spokane Parks joint bond/levy initiative called Together Spokane.  In this sneak peak of the episode, hear from Greg Forsyth. He explains how bond dollars are critical to keeping schools functional.

Tim Fortune joins Stephanie Splater and Nicole Hernandez in this month's SPS Extra podcast to talk about CTE opportunities across the district. CTE, which stands for Career Technical Education, provides students with hands on experience in potential career paths. In this episode, we hear from teachers and students involved in Culinary Club and Construction Club. Both clubs teach students the...

In the upcoming podcast, which releases Thursday, February 20th, Stephanie and Nicole talk about CTE opportunities available to students in SPS. Hear from students in culinary club and construction club, and staff about how beneficial these programs are for students.

In this episode of SPS Extra, Stephanie and Nicole talk with students and mental health experts about the benefits of participating in extracurricular activities. From elementary to high school, the students and their support systems see obvious benefits after being involved in their communities.

On every episode of SPS Extra, we feature student voice. Many of the students we've talked to told us they benefit from the extracurriculars they participate in.  On the January episode of SPS Extra, we're focusing on the benefits extracurriculars bring students. We're chatting with a student counselor and expert in youth mental health, as well as several student clubs.

Stephanie and Nicole sat down with all five SPS Engagement Navigators to talk about extracurriculars during the Fall semester. Hear from each of them about what activities have been popular at different schools and what the plan is to keep students engaged in real life as the school year continues. 

The relationship between Spokane Public Schools and our numerous community partners is symbiotic, providing activities, support and community engagement for students, while bolstering the reach of our partners. In the November episode of SPS Extra, Stephanie Splater and Nicole Hernandez chat about how important our community partners are. Hear from Hoopfest, Treehouse and Spark Central, and learn...

"I think it's beneficial for everybody," Riley Stockton, Executive Director of Spokane Hoopfest said about the partnership between Hoopfest and Spokane Public Schools.  Hoopfest is one of many SPS partners, all dedicated to providing students with more access and opportunity within the community. On this month's episode of SPS Extra, Stephanie Splater and Nicole Hernandez discu...

From the football field to the classroom, research proves youth involvement in extracurricular activities is beneficial, particularly when started at a young age. In this months episode of SPS extra Stephanie Splater and Nicole Hernandez talk about those benefits, including higher performance in academics, lower rates of externalized problems and increased success in the activity. "I can drea...

In October’s episode of SPS Extra, Stephanie Splater and Nicole Hernandez are talking about the importance of getting students engaged in extracurriculars young. In this snippet from the podcast, hear from the North Central High School quarterback who has been playing football since he was in Kindergarten.  The full podcast drops in one week! You can listen by searching for “SPS Podcasts” on your...

In this month's episode of SPS Extra, hear from students about their passions and teachers who see first hand how phones have changed their classrooms. We're talking about the districts new initiative Engage IRL (In Real Life).  We talk to students, teachers and staff about how critical it is to get students off their phones and engaged in extra curricular activities. Research shows anxi...

SPS Extra is back! Here’s a snippet from this month’s podcast episode, which will be available Thursday, September 19th.  In the  episode, we talk to students about they’re involvement in extracurriculars and staff about their role in getting students involved. Here, you’re hearing from students and staff at North Central High School’s summer band camp. SPS launched Engage IRL this year, an initia...

For this month's episode of SPS Extra, Stephanie and Taylor highlight the Northeast region of Spokane Public Schools.  In-field interviews feature Rogers Football, Communities In Schools and 21st Century Learning, as well as the Esports team at NEWTech Prep. 

For this month's episode of SPS Extra, Stephanie and Taylor dive into leadership and what it takes to rise to the challenge.  In-field interviews  feature North Central boys basketball, Shadle Park volleyball, the pickleball club at Ferris as well as the knitting club at Lewis and Clark. 

Groovy Shoes and Rubber Chicken has come and gone once again for North Central, Shadle Park, Lewis and Clark, and Ferris. This year, school pride and spirit was overflowing at the arena as North Central took home the groovy shoes for the eighth straight year, and Ferris won the rubber chicken for the first time in three years.  Let's not forget about the newest tradition in Spokane Public Sch...

SPS Extra is ending 2023 by celebrating the non-traditional extracurricular activities in our schools! Taylor Scheib (Brooks) and Stephanie Splater dive into the unique and intriguing clubs across our elementary, middle, and high schools. They interview the Cooking Club at Franklin Elementary School, Saxon Snow Sports at Ferris, and the Pep Squad at Peperzak Middle School. 

In October, the world celebrated Mental Health Day. This was a day to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to show efforts in support of mental health.  In this month's episode, we dive into the importance of mental health awareness and how extracurriculars statistically prove a better well being.  We have interviews with the Wellness Club at North Central as well as h...

The start of the 2023-24 school year is here, and Spokane Public Schools is leveling up! On this month's episode of SPS Extra, hear from district superintendent, Dr. Adam Swinyard.  He is encouraging students to participate in at least one extracurricular activity this school year!  Along with Dr. Swinyard, you will hear from North Central girls soccer and Ferris cheerleading. Both teams are...

Spokane Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Adam Swinyard, sits down with Stephanie Splater and Taylor Brooks from SPS Extra to start off the school year!  Dr. Swinyard is encouraging students to participate in at least one extracurricular this school year. This conversation dives into the importance of extracurriculars, and how to get students off the screen.