The SENIA Happy Hour Podcast

On this episode, host Lori Boll speaks with Alexandra “Zandy” Wong who shared her personal journey with hearing loss and her mission to make the digital world more accessible. Zanday’s experience inspired her to found the NextGen Accessibility Initiative, which has reached over 200,000 youth across 119 countries. She discussed key aspects of digital accessibility, including proper captioning, alt...

Overview: Today host Lori Boll speaks with educator and author Kwame Sarfo-Mensah about his recently published book "Learning to Relearn" which is a call for unlearning and relearning, encouraging teachers to continually evolve their practices to meet the diverse needs of their students. Kwame tells us his inspiration behind writing the book as well as how we can all become better educators by cel...

Overview:  Jamie Shields is a vibrant advocate for disability rights, known for his engaging personality and insightful perspectives. In our recent podcast episode, Jamie shared his journey as a registered blind individual, emphasizing the importance of self-identification and the nuances of language within the disability community. We also explored his organization, "Disabled by Society," which h...

In this episode of the SENIA Happy Hour podcast, host Lori Boll chats with Trisha Friedman, a seasoned educator with international experience and the founder of allied.org about the fascinating role of algorithms in our daily lives. Trisha shares her global experiences and insights on how algorithms shape our interactions, particularly in education and social media. They discuss the importance of...

Overview:  On today’s podcast, host Lori Boll speaks with Kevin Schaefer who is currently the Director of Inclusive Practices/Supporting Inclusive Practices (SIP) project through the El Dorado County Office of Education Sacramento, California. In this role, Kevin works to improve educational outcomes for students with disabilities through the provision of high-quality leadership and support to the...

On today’s podcast, host Lori Boll speaks with Sybil Hall about the important topic of Teacher Burnout. Sybil recently published Burn Bright, Not Out: 35 Lessons that Cultivate Teacher Well Being. Lori and Sybil discuss why this is such an important topic, especially in 2024 and some ways to support our own well-being. As we are all starting the new school year, you won’t want to miss this podcast...

Today host Lori Boll is joined by renowned Universal Design for Learning expert, Dr. Loui Lord Nelson. Loui is an internationally recognized leader in UDL implementation. She wrote her bestselling book "Design and Deliver: Planning and Teaching Using Universal Design for Learning" while completing her UDL post-doctoral fellowship at CAST, the creators of the UDL framework. She has two ot...

On today’s podcast, host Lori Boll speaks with Maya Chupkov, host of The Proud Stutter podcast. Maya is a stuttering advocate and community organizer. As a woman who stutters, she is working to shift societal norms around stuttering and the disability community. Lori and Maya discuss Maya’s schooling experience, how teachers can make a better environment for their students who stutter, and all abo...

On today’s podcast, host Lori Boll speaks with Katie Fowle and Sharoya Ham, authors of the #1 Bestselling book, Help! My Kid Won’t Go to School: Finding Hope on a Bad Day. Katie shares her experiences with her daughter who experienced school refusal and both Katie and Sharoys explain why school refusal happens, and some steps parents and teachers can take in understanding and supporting their chil...

On today's podcast, host Lori Boll speaks with Heidi Mermis-Cava, the Director of Student Support Services at the Shanghai American School. Heidi recently presented at the in-person SENIA conference in Vietnam, where she received overwhelmingly positive feedback for her work. Heidi shares some of her expertise on distinguishing between English as an Additional Language (EAL), Specific Learning...

On today’s podcast, host Lori Boll speaks with Kevin Bartlett. Kevin is the founding director of the Common Ground Collaborative (CGC), one of SENIA’s partner organizations. CGC is a learning ecosystem used by schools in 20 countries. Kevin  has led schools in Tanzania, Austria, Namibia and Belgium. He was a trainer for the PTC, co-author of the ACE accreditation protocol for NEASC, initiator of t...

Overview:  Today host Lori Boll speaks with Ceci Gomez-Galvez who was one of our SENIA virtual conference speakers this year. Ceci (she.her.ella) is a collaborator, coach and advocate who empowers educators to create equitable learning opportunities for all language learners. Born and raised in Guatemala City, Ceci grew up in a unique bilingual household nurtured by her family who valued languages...

Overview:  Today host Lori Boll speaks with Ceci Gomez-Galvez who was one of our SENIA virtual conference speakers this year. Ceci (she.her.ella) is a collaborator, coach and advocate who empowers educators to create equitable learning opportunities for all language learners. Born and raised in Guatemala City, Ceci grew up in a unique bilingual household nurtured by her family who valued languages...

Overview: Host Lori Boll speaks with Max Simpson. Max has demonstrated a proven track record in the inclusion space from establishing 3 vocational training centers, modelling 11 inclusive and sustainable social businesses, and delivering essential consultancy services to organisations seeking enhanced inclusivity. Earlier this year, Max inaugurated a research centre dedicated to advancing knowledg...

Overview Host Lori Boll speaks with Kathi Silva, author of ‘Extraordinary Experiences: Tales of Special Needs Abroad,’ a book about living with special needs as expats. Kathi wrote this book as a way to share stories and help others prepare for adventures overseas while parenting their neurodiverse children. Kathi shares about her experiences raising her autistic twins overseas in multiple countri...

Overview Today host Lori Boll speaks with Sam Drazin, Founder and Executive Director of Changing Perspectives, one of SENIA’s sponsor organizations and partners. Lori and Sam discuss Sam’s background and inspiration behind starting Changing Perspectives, Sam’s definition of inclusion, the needs of schools in terms of how they can become more inclusive, and his vision for the future of schools. So...

Today host Lori Boll speaks with G. Cody QJ Goldberg, co-founder and Chief Play Officer of Harper’s Playground which inspires and empowers global communities to build radically inclusive playgrounds. Through storytelling, consulting, and unique design principles, they create playful nature-scapes where people of all ages and abilities find belonging and social connection through play. Lori and Cod...

Overview Host Lori Boll speaks with Kevin Simpson, the founder of one of SENIA’s partner organizations, AEILOC, which stands for the Association of International Educators and Leaders of Color. Today Kevin and I speak about AEILOC’s important  work, address privilege, and touch upon the intersectionality between SENIA’s and AEILOC’s missions and visions. Kevin shares the 4 A’s that all internation...

Overview:  Today host Lori Boll speaks with Mitch Weathers, creator of The Organized Binder. Mitch created this binder to empower teachers with a simple but research-backed strategy to teach students executive functioning skills while protecting the time needed for content instruction. Lori & Mitch discuss how establishing a predictable learning routine for our students serves to foster safer...

Overview:  Today host Lori Boll speaks with David Geslak and Amber Pantaleo, Founder and Vice President of Exercise Connection, an organization that uses evidence-based solutions to empower those who support individuals with autism and other disabilities to teach exercise successfully. Coach Dave and Amber share the research and evidence based practices to support learners and share how just 10 mi...

Overview:  Today host Lori Boll speaks with Dr. Emily Meadows (she/her), one of SENIA’s keynote speakers for our upcoming virtual conference. Emily is an LGBTQ+ consultant specialized in international schools. In addition to her doctoral degree, Emily holds master’s degrees in both Sexual Health and Counseling, and has worked as an international school counselor for over a decade. She researches,...

Overview:  Today host Lori Boll speaks with Tim Villegas who is the director of communications of MCIE or the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education, a nonprofit that envisions a society where neighborhood schools welcome all learners and create the foundation for inclusive communities. He is the founder of Think Inclusive, MCIE's blog and podcast. Tim and Lori speak about MCIE and their i...

Overview Today host Lori Boll speaks  with Helen Trethewey, an experienced inclusion leader with a passion for early identification of children with learning differences. She has worked in education for over 29 years in the UK, Belgium, Hong Kong, Vietnam and now Sweden. Helen is Dyslexic herself and is a specialist Dyslexia teacher and assessor. She also authors a blog on twice exceptionality. On...

Overview Today host Lori Boll speaks with Anita Churchville, an educational consultant and founder of the HAGT Learners Collaborative. She currently coordinates the High Ability Program at the American School of Bombay and conducts professional development workshops, courses, and ongoing coaching at a number of private international schools with European and American curricula.  Anita’s published...

Overview:  Today, host Lori Boll speaks with Kathleen Kryza, an outstanding international presenter/consultant and author of 6 books for educators who is committed to bringing best brain-based educational practices to schools and teachers so they can support and nurture their students. On today’s podcast, Kathleen tells us why it’s important to teach our students about how their brains work by bei...