A new series that will pop up from time to time within Break The Line, this is the first installment of How To Build A School, where we chronicle to journey of Explore Community School growing from an idea to a real school serving hundreds of elementary and middle school students.  We speak with Jon Driskell, founding principal of Explore, about the story so far, and preview what listeners can expect to hear in this series as we prepare for opening day in July, 2015, and growing and building for years after that.

More about Explore at: www.explorecommunityschool.com

And links to some of the inspiration mentioned in the episode:

High Tech High: www.hightechhigh.org

An Ethic of Excellence, by Ron Berger: http://elschools.org/about-us/staff-board

Georgeanne Chapman tells her story.

Kent Miller, Director of High School Initiatives at Martha O'Bryan Center, shares the improbable success story of our Academic Student Unions at the 2014 Conference of The Alliance for Strong Families & Communities.

We speak with Marsha Edwards, our CEO and Sara Green, community organizer with Cayce United, about relational poverty.

We interview folks around the Center about what it means to be home for the holidays.

We visit the November community circle at East End Prep, an elementary school that is part of Martha O'Bryan Center. We hear from Associate Dean of Students Yasmine Woods and the young scholars enrolled at East End, who give us a lesson about controlling our attitude.

You asked for more adorable children, and we deliver in episode 10. Brandie Long, our Literacy Coach, and some students in our Early Learning Center, help us learn about persimmons, and our Read and Eat program.

In episode 9, we learn about gleaning and food security.  We talk to Linda Tozer, Regional Director of the Tennessee Gleaning Network at the Society of St. Andrew. Learn more about their work at www.endhunger.org  We also talk to Jeff Poppen, aka The Barefoot Farmer.  His website is barefootfarmer.org, and the website of his Tennessee Local Food Summit is tnlocalfood.com. We also talk to amazing gleaning volunteer John Folger!

We speak with Nashville State Community College freshmen Justin Haynes, Robert Woodard, Kenneth Jones and Jodeci Sam as well as Martha O'Bryan Center staffer Ashlee Pippin, who works in our Postsecondary Success program.  Shout out to partners Oasis Center and Nashville Financial Empowerment Centers!

Nashville Financial Empowerment Center: http://www.nashville.gov/Mayors-Office/Priorities/Economic-Development/Financial-Empowerment-Center.aspx

Oasis Center: http://www.oasiscenter.org

Marsha Edwards returns to the show with a story about abundance. But first, we introduce the team behind the podcast, including guest co-host Adrianna Flax. We share the history of the show, some feedback you have provided, and an exciting announcement as we celebrate our wonderful community of listeners.