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In this episode of The Leading for Children Podcast, your hosts Judy Jablon and Nichole Parks are joined by Kyson Bunthuwong, Vivian Matalon, and show producer Julia Connolly for a timely conversation about how kindness, empathy, and respect are among our greatest human strengthsâand what a world grounded in these values might look and feel like.
To learn more about Leading for Childrenâs Humanity First Model, visit our website here.
A Quote to Take Away: Nichole shared, âI think it's very important that we don't lose ourselves and the core of who we are, and our kindness, and our humanity, when we stand up for ourselves. I want to be clear, I think now is the time we definitely should stand up. However, I think that we can always stand up with kindness.â
Thanks for listening!
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Episode Notes:
In this episode of The Leading for Children Podcast, your hosts Judy Jablon and Nichole Parks are joined by Shannon Bracamonte, Program Operations Director at the Early Childhood Services Center at the University of New Mexico. Shannon shares about her experience bringing the Humanity First Model into her community, emphasizing how awareness of who we are and intention in how we show up in the world help us feel stronger, more connected, and more effective.
Together, they explore the central role of community in the Humanity First Model and discuss how the Mutual Learning Method supports putting these principles into practice. To learn more about Leading for Childrenâs Humanity First Model, visit our website here.
A Quote to Take Away: Shannon Bracamonte shared, âHow do you want to be in this world and how do you want to inspire or impact others through your modeling and how you interact with them? You can interact with kindness, you can interact with respect, and we can have perspective-takingââagree to disagree and still have a connection based on this conversationâand I think that's so important.â
Thanks for listening!
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In the premiere episode of The Leading for Children Podcastâs second season, show producer Julia Connolly revisits highlights from a compelling conversation in Season 1, Episode 3. Hosts Judy Jablon and Nichole Parks are joined by Leigh Sargent, Preschool Development Grant Supervisor at the Mississippi Department of Education K-12 (at the time of this recording, Leigh was the Executive Director of the Tallahatchie Early Learning Alliance in the Mississippi Delta) for a discussion on the power of putting Humanity First.
Together, they explore LFCâs Humanity First Model, and dive into its core principles of connection, equity, agency. Listen in as Judy, Nichole, and Leigh discuss how centering humanity helps us realize our guiding belief that Stronger Adults = Stronger Children = Stronger Communities.
To learn more about Leading for Childrenâs Humanity First Model, visit our website here.
A Quote to Take Away: Leigh Sargent shared, âItâs about intentionally making decisions so that you can pour positive impact into those Children. They are our future, and if we want to change the outcome of what happens in the world, we're going to have to start pouring some humanity into our children.â
Thanks for listening!
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In this episode, your hosts Judy Jablon and Nichole Parks are joined by Tsundzukani Whatsi, Wildlife Tracker at Londolozi Game Reserve in South Africa. Together, they engage in a dynamic conversation about what it can look and feel like to have and cultivate actionable learning experiences, as well as how they support inspired, capable, and thriving communities for children. Tsundzukani shares how her passion for nature has driven her to overcome challenges in the field, as she has pursued a career that isnât typical in her village, and almost unheard of for women.
Show Notes:
LFC's book 11 Simple Rules to Create Thriving Communities for Children is available for purchase here.To view photos of Tsundzukani at work as a wildlife tracker, visit our podcast episode webpage.A Quote to Take Away:
Tsundzukani shared, âThere are no female trackers in the whole of South Africa. I wanted to be one of the examples that we can do it as females. I wanted to encourage a lot of girls out there that we can do it as well. Learning something from a very young age that, at the end of the day, is going to benefit other kids â it's a big deal for me.â
Thanks for listening!
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In this episode, your hosts Judy Jablon and Nichole Parks are joined by mother, wife, and LFCâs Former Chief of Staff, Gretchen Henderson, for a conversation about what it can look and feel like to have and cultivate exploratory learning experiences, and how this helps to create thriving communities for children.
Show notes: LFC's book 11 Simple Rules to Create Thriving Communities for Children is available for purchase here.
A quote to take away: Gretchen shared, âWhen I think about exploratory, I think about curiosity. The big phrase for me is, 'what if?' I think about experiments - creativity, hands-on, trial and error - and especially, I think, with a little bit of risk taking."
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In this episode, your hosts Judy Jablon and Nichole Parks are joined by Jill Gunderman, mother, wife, community member, and Associate Director for Strategic Alliance, and Julia Connolly, daughter, sister, friend, and LFCâs Development and Communications Associate, for a conversation about what it can look and feel like to have and cultivate meaningful learning experiences, and how this helps to create thriving communities for children.
Show notes: LFC's book 11 Simple Rules to Create Thriving Communities for Children is available for purchase here.
A quote to take away: Julia shared, âWhen I think about the word meaningful, it feels like the why of living - the core of everything. Itâs very physiological. You could feel vibrations in your body. You could feel warm and fuzzy. It could feel like a deep breath.â
Thanks for listening!
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In this episode, hosts Judy Jablon and Nichole Parks welcome partners and co-parents, Beth Brett, an architect and project manager, and Meghan Kelley, a psychologist, for a conversation about what it can look and feel like to cultivate respectful emotional and physical environments, and how this helps create thriving communities for children.
Show notes: LFC's book 11 Simple Rules to Create Thriving Communities for Children is available for purchase here.
A quote to take away: Beth shared, âIt has taken many years to change that messaging in myself [that asking questions is disrespecting authority]. And I think it was actually having a child and seeing his development and wanting and encouraging him to ask questions; having dialogue where I may not have the answer - but let's talk about it. I want to know what you're thinking.â
Thanks for listening!
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In this episode, your hosts Judy Jablon and Nichole Parks are joined by fellow LFC Team Members Shannon Newman, also a mother, grandmother, and wife, and Serene Stevens, also a mother and wife, for a conversation about what it can look and feel like to cultivate organized emotional and physical environments, and how this helps create thriving communities for children.
Show notes: LFC's book 11 Simple Rules to Create Thriving Communities for Children is available for purchase here.
A quote to take away: Serene shared, âIf we are becoming tripped up trying to keep a certain [organization system] going and finding that we are tense or having intense feelings, maybe it's time to look at that system. Maybe it's not serving, and we can let it go.â
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In this episode, your hosts Judy Jablon and Nichole Parks are joined by Joelle Wheatley, member of LFCâs Humanity First Community and mother of four and six-year old children, and Maria Rosado, Montessori Teacher and LFC Facilitator, for a conversation about what it means to cultivate and be in calm emotional and physical environments, and how this helps create thriving communities for children.
Show notes: LFC's book 11 Simple Rules to Create Thriving Communities for Children is available for purchase here.
A quote to take away: Maria shared, âSometimes it is not about you. It is about [the child] and what they're feeling and what they're going through - and just taking it step by step, moment by moment, and just slowing down and taking that pause to kind of just think for a moment, how do I want to react to this? What do I want the outcome to be? And how am I going to do that for myself?â
Thanks for listening!
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In this episode, your hosts Judy Jablon and Nichole Parks sit down for a conversation about what it means to cultivate and be in safe emotional and physical environments, and how this helps create thriving communities for children.
Show notes: LFC's book 11 Simple Rules to Create Thriving Communities for Children is available for purchase here.
Nichole shared a quote that she holds onto from one of LFCâs partners in Alabama: âSafety is not the absence of threat -- it is the presence of connection.â
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In this episode, your hosts Judy Jablon and Nichole Parks are joined by Beverly Erdmann, Former Administrator at Department of Defense Education Activity, for a conversation about what it means to be in two-way relationships and interactions and how this helps create thriving communities for children.
Show notes: LFC's book 11 Simple Rules to Create Thriving Communities for Children is available for purchase here. Use code Fall10 for a 10% discount.
A quote to take away: Beverly shared, âI know I've been guilty in the past of thinking that I'm listening to someone, and I'm forming a response that may or may not really be in the moment. So, I think that the challenge sometimes is to, as Shannon said, be present, be actively present.â
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In this episode, your hosts Judy Jablon and Nichole Parks are joined by Casey Sims, Former Learning Network Member and Teacher at Jubilee Co-operative Preschool in Bluffton, South Carolina for a conversation about what it means to be trusting in our relationships and interactions and how this helps create thriving communities for children. Show notes: LFC's book 11 Simple Rules to Create Thriving Communities for Children is available for purchase here. Use code Fall10 for a 10% discount. A quote to take away: Nichole shared, âThe more children see us in trusting relationships with each other, and the more they experience us as being trustworthy and trusting, then we create this generation that because they've experienced trust and they've seen it in action, they are more likely and able to go out into the world and themselves be trusting and trustworthy.â Thanks for listening!
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In this episode, your hosts Judy Jablon and Nichole Parks are joined by Leading for Children Senior Program Leader Jonathan Fribley and Marneshia Cathey, LFC Board Member and Director and Founder of the West Point Christian Preschool in Hattiesburg, Mississippi for a conversation about what it means to be open in our relationships and interactions and how this helps create thriving communities for children.Show notes:LFC's book 11 Simple Rules to Create Thriving Communities for Children is available for purchase here. Use code Fall10 for a 10% discount.A quote to take away: Jonathan shared a quote from one of LFC's learning partners: âBeing more open to hearing othersâ opinions and approaches to situations has led to constructive idea building and saving the team a lot of time.âThank you for listening!
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In this episode, your hosts Judy Jablon and Nichole Parks are joined by Carol Barton and Tanya Taylor, Project Director and Project Coordinator for the Early Childhood Program at the Marin County Office of Education, for a conversation about what it means to be honest in our relationships and interactions.Show notesHonest is the first of LFCâs 11 Simple Rules to Create Thriving Communities for Children. LFC's book outlining this groundbreaking approach is available here. Use code MAY23 for a 10% discount.LinksMarin County Office of Education Early Childhood ProgramNichole mentions Conscious DisciplineCarol mentions that her team has engaged in journal studies with LFC. To learn more about this mutual learning program, reach out to us at [email protected] quote to take away.Tanya shared: It is so enriching when I am able to hear other peopleâs perspectives. It makes my life fuller, and it helps me a better person.
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In this episode, your hosts Judy Jablon and Nichole Parks are joined by Leigh Sargent, Executive Director for the Tallahatchie Early Learning Alliance in the Mississippi Delta, for a conversation about Leading for Childrenâs Humanity First model.
Show notes
The words we use to talk about people and describe their circumstances can center or diminish their humanity. In this episode we mention âhomeless peopleâ. While preferred over âthe homelessâ, we understand that when people hear this term they might unintentionally associate with negative and harmful stereotypes that promote stigma. To emphasize the people at the center of this crisis and underline their humanity, the phrase âpeople experiencing homelessnessâ is preferred.
Some resources to learn more about the importance of the language we use:
https://thehomemoreproject.org/blog/changing-the-way-we-talk-about-homelessnesshttps://archive.curbed.com/2020/6/11/21273455/homeless-people-definition-copy-editinghttps://blanchethouse.org/homeless-houseless-unhoused-glossary-about-homelessness/#:~:text=In%20recent%20years%20advocates%20and,experiencing%20homelessness%20or%20housing%20insecurity.
A quote to take away
Judy shared, At LFC we talk about what Leadership means. It doesnât mean being âthe bossâ it doesnât mean youâre top dog. It means you own the impact you have."
Links:Tallahatchie Early Learning Alliance
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In this episode, your hosts Judy Jablon and Nichole Parks are joined by Leading for Children's Senior Program Manager Jonathan Fribley for a conversation about commitment â what it means to us and why it matters that we model it for children.
Show Notes
Judy mentions LFC's Link and Weave technique. This practice allows us to deepen individual and group learning by integrating ideas that have been presented in conversation. We listen and take notes as our conversation partners share thoughts and then weave ideas together, highlighting connections. This practice cultivates our listening skills and models respect for the wisdom of others.
Judy describes The Five Commitments of Optimistic Leaders for Children. This LFC framework identifies five core commitments for everyone within the early childhood ecosystem
Think impactCultivate self-awarenessNurture relationshipsRefine communicationActivate curiosityLFC's book outlining this groundbreaking approach is available here. Use code MAY23 for a 10% discount.
A quote to take away: "It is hard to get up when you are kicking yourself because your legs are too busy." - Nichole Parks
Thank you for listening!
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In this episode, your hosts Judy Jablon and Nichole Parks are joined by Leading for Children Program Leaders Serene Stevens and Jonathan Fribley to discuss the impact of modeling behavior for children and the way children can thrive in relationships with the important adults in their lives.
