Connections Podcast

Summer jobs are not what they used to be . Statistics show that far fewer teenagers are working summer jobs. There's a ripple effect on the economy and future employment prospects, and it's also a change in the culture. Our guests examine the impact of this change: Rainesford Stauffer , freelance writer, and author of the forthcoming book, "An Ordinary Age" Chloe Maloy, rising junior at World of Inquiry School, and lifeguard for the City of Rochester Ari Fybush, rising senior at Brighton High

We continue our series of conversations with local superintendents about reopening schools. This hour, we're joined by the superintendents of Gates Chili and Webster Central School Districts. They share their districts' learning models and their plans for testing, masking, physical distancing, and more. Our guests: Christopher Dailey , superintendent of Gates Chili Central School District Carmen Gumina , superintendent of Webster Central School District

Jason Brown is the founder of Tally, and he’s trying to do something very different. He created a personal finance app that actually aims to help customers. As author Michael Lewis says, Americans have “been screwed by the consumer finance industry so long that they’re wary of promises.” But Brown is actually following through: instead of coaxing Americans to pay the minimum on their credit cards, he’s found ways to help people get out of debt and avoid the compounding problems that credit card

As teachers prepare to head back to the classroom – either in person or remotely – they have much to consider. We’ve heard from local teachers and parents about concerns regarding the quality of remote learning. Experts at St. John Fisher College have developed a four-week training course for teachers to learn best practices in online education. The workshops are geared toward helping teachers sharpen their skills with technology and help students and teachers better interact. A number of local

A local physician is sharing her experiences with compassion fatigue. It's an issue we've addressed on this program in the past, and with the demands on health care professionals during the coronavirus pandemic, understanding the issue has become even more relevant. Dr. Deborah Pierce was feeling the effects of clinician burnout . She says after pushing through the stigma and shame of requesting time off, she did, and emerged with a clear head and heart. She said that made her better able to

We continue our series of conversations about reopening colleges and universities. Monday, the University of Alabama reported more than 560 coronavirus cases on its campuses after reopening last week. Other schools, including the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and Notre Dame, switched to virtual classes just days after students returned in person. Local cases are lower than what we're seeing in some other states, but as reported by WXXI News last week, institutions like RIT and the

The Susan B. Anthony Museum and House rejected President Trump's pardon of Susan B. Anthony last week. Trump pardoned Anthony last Tuesday on the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment. Anthony was arrested in 1872 for voting before it was legal for women to do so. Some historians say Anthony would not have wanted to be pardoned because she didn't think she did anything wrong. This hour, we discuss Anthony's legacy, the suffragist movement, and the state of equal rights and

With the Democratic convention in the rearview mirror, where should Democrats focus on winning in November? Four years ago, Democrats spent money in states like Arizona and Texas, lost big, and then also lost midwest states like Michigan and Wisconsin. This time around, the polls show Joe Biden tied in Texas, close in Georgia, with a chance to run a big electoral victory. Or, Democrats fear, it could be a setup for a repeat: a popular vote win and an electoral vote loss. Our guests are

We look at some hard facts about our city and our community. "Hard Facts" is the name of a 2017 report on inequality, and this week, there's an update. The 2020 Hard Facts report does not offer a much brighter picture. Our community continues to see massive disparities when it comes to educational and economic opportunities. Those disparities tend to fall along racial lines. The authors of the report join us to discuss the roots of these inequities, the data itself, and what can we do to create

What do teachers think about going back to school? In recent weeks we've talked to parents, superintendents, security workers, custodial staff, bus drivers, and more. But today is our first chance to hear from teachers. Privately, we've been hearing from teachers all summer long. Some are eager to get back to the classroom. Others are profoundly concerned about safety and their own health. This hour, we hear from teachers from several school districts. Our guests: Olivia, special education