The Big E.D idea Podcast

Casey Gwinn is the visionary behind the Family Justice Center movement, the rapidly developing, international approach of co-locating services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Family Justice Centers bring together police officers, prosecutors, advocates, doctors, nurses, therapists, and other professionals — all under one roof — to support victims and their children....

Scott A. Galeski is an award winning independent filmmaker and a retired police detective from Downriver Detroit Michigan. During his 25 year law enforcement career, he served as a lead investigator of Crimes Against Children, Violent Crimes, Arson, Crisis Negotiator and was SWAT certified. In addition, Galeski worked 5 years in the underbelly of Detroit as an undercover operative. Another hat he...

Audubon Kids Zone, in Henderson, Kentucky, seeks to break the cycle of poverty by focusing on the next generation with educational and social support structures that provide opportunities for disadvantaged youth. Join Ryan and their Executive Director, Kacee Campbell, as they discuss the story/purpose or AKZ and why a BBBS/AKZ partnership just makes sense! Find AKZ or BBBSSWI online and consider d...

Michael J. Karcher, Ed. D., Ph. D., Professor of Education and Human Development, is the School Counseling Training Program Coordinator at the University of Texas at San Antonio.     Dr. Karcher holds doctorates in Human Development (Harvard) & Counseling Psychology (UT).  He studies school-based mentoring (Study of Mentoring in the Learning Environment,  www.utsasmile.org ), cross-age peer me...

Rob knows a thing or two about the need for workplace mentoring involving our kids. Listen as he and I discuss programs he has seen and why the need is greater than ever to connect our kids' present to their future! Rob O’Brian, CEcD has nearly forty years in local and regional economic development. During his more than 20-year tenure as president of the Joplin (MO) Area Chamber of Commerce, h...

Sarah and Joyce were the first Spencer County match for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Indiana back in 2000! Join the 3 of us as we discuss how life was like when their match began, their favorite memories and how BBBS changed their lives. Be prepared to get emotional!

Matthew is a current Big with us at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Indiana. As a retired military man, his brings a strong sense of purpose for improving the community in which he lives with his wife and children. Join us as Matthew discusses why he chose to be a Big, what that typically looks like and why others should join our ranks as a defender of potential!

DJ Quinn is a two-time Big Brother / Big Sisters volunteer, having been matched from 1980-1984 with a Little Brother in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He currently assists with mentor programs in the Pierce County Juvenile Court system. His honest and humorous writing style was developed in previous editing and writing jobs for airline labor unions, lifestyle magazines, and real estate advertising. Quinn...

What if I told you there is a crisis right with our boys? What if I told you that our boys aren't doing well?? Join Hal and I as we discuss an issue that noone is talking about: the boy crisis! After spending over 2 decades in the classroom,  Hal Bowman  has been crisscrossing the United States, helping tens of thousands of teachers and school leaders understand and shift classroom and campus...

Chip Baker is a fourth generation educator. He has been a teacher/coach for over twenty four years. He is a multiple time best-selling Author, Youtuber/Podcaster, Transformational Speaker and Life Coach. He is the Greater Houston Area Ambassador for Hartwell University. Chip Baker is the creator of the youtube channel/podcast Chip Baker - The Success Chronicles where he interviews people from all...

Ginger Healy MSW, LCSW is a clinical social worker with experience as a non-profit case manager, child abuse investigator, hospital social worker, and school social worker. She spent 15 years as the social service supervisor at an international adoption agency and was able to travel to provide support for orphanages all over the world. She is currently the director of programs for the Attachment &...

In her two decades as a consultant on education and economic class, Ruby has published more than a dozen books and spoken extensively around the globe. Ruby empowers educators and community leaders to address issues of poverty in classrooms, communities, businesses, hospitals, churches, and social services. Through aha! Process programs and conferences, Ruby has certified thousands of trainees in...

Ryan Scott is the Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Indiana. He can be described as goal-driven, servant-led, and incredibly relentless in his pursuit to fight for ALL kids! Prior to coming on board BBBS, Ryan spent 16 years in public education, where he worked tirelessly to preach the gospel of connection before content and that we had a connection, not entirely an ac...

Joe Brummer is a trauma survivor. Having lived through early exposure to violence, child abuse and neglect, and two violent anti-LGBTQ hate crimes, he turned his healing journey into a career in peacebuilding, restorative justice, and consulting in trauma-informed education. He supports schools and youth justice institutions internationally using a trauma-informed restorative lens to create suppor...

CJ Reynolds has been a classroom educator for almost 20 years, teaching high school Literature and The History of Hip-Hop in West Philadelphia and Camden, NJ. He is also the author of Teach Your Class Off: The Real Rap Guide to Teaching and the creator of the Real Rap with Reynolds YouTube channel . CJ speaks at schools, universities, and conferences all over the United States. Reynolds' work...

Dr. Lindsey Jensen was the 2018 Illinois Teacher of the Year, the 2020 NEA Foundation for Teaching Excellence Illinois Awardee, and Vice-President of the Illinois State Teachers of the Year. Her work has been featured in IL-ASCD, Teach Plus, NEA Today, Education Post, and the book Flip the System US: How Teachers Can Transform Education and Save Democracy . Her career in education spans 19 years,...

Jeanne McCarty joined Out Teach as the first CEO in 2007. Since then, she has spent her days setting strategy, securing resources, and mobilizing as many people as she can to help all children, no matter their resources, to have access to a transformative, hands-on education. Out Teach is a national nonprofit organization that inspires and prepares hundreds of thousands of students to be thinkers,...

Alex T. Valencic is an educator, former small business owner, Boy Scout leader, volunteer drug prevention specialist, and geek of all things. Currently the Professional Learning Coordinator for Freeport SD 145, home of the Pretzels! 🥨 Teach Better Ambassador with The Teach Better.com Crew! Hails from NW Illinois

Ginger Healy MSW, LCSW is a clinical social worker with almost 30 years of experience in the field. Ginger has worked as a child abuse investigator, hospital social worker, and school therapist. She spent 15 years as the social service supervisor at an international adoption agency and was able to travel to provide support for orphanages all over the world. This job continues to inform her work on...

Andrea Bitner is an educator, author, and speaker. She lives in Philadelphia, PA. She has worked with students in grades K-12 throughout her twenty-two years in public education from all around the world. Her first book, “ Take Me Home ,” was published by Austin Macauley in July of 2021. " Take Me Home " is the true story of 11 of her former EL students who give a first-hand account of w...

ames is an elementary school principal who has created, implemented, and helped others create and implement trauma-informed practices in their schools. Throughout his career, he has taught various demographic groups, observing the differences and similarities in effective instructional and behavioral strategies. Ultimately, James realized what we all know, meaningful relationships enhance behavior...

CJ Reynolds' has taught ninth grade Literature and the History of Hip-Hop for nearly 20 years in Camden, NJ, and West Philadelphia. His mission is to help all educators become the change makers they're called to be. He seeks to transform educators' perspectives, enrich their visions, and empower their practices so that they can do the same for their students. CJ provides general suppor...

Meagan is a Bal-A-Vis-X practitioner/trainer, and an educator with about 22 years of experience in both general and special education. In her private Bal-A-Vis-X studio, she teaches Bal-A-Vis-X exercises to both children and adults with varying degrees of social and cognitive challenges. She is sanctioned by Bill Hubert, BAVX founder, to provide both on site trainings and virtual coaching. During...

Charle Peck is the co-creator of Thriving School Community, a revolutionary program designed for schools to improve mental health. With over 20 years of education and mental health leadership experience, she has the unique lens of both a certified teacher and a licensed therapist. Charle holds an MS in Education and an MS in Social Work. Her role as a high school teacher coupled with her clinical...

Elijah is a teacher, like his mom, uncle, and grandparents before him. He has been teaching in the state of New Mexico since 2014, currently working in the Albuquerque Public School district. Elijah enjoys podcasting about all things educational and listening to podcasts created by his friends in education, some of which he has been honored to be a guest on. He is the host of The Shut Up and Teach...