Many educators, prior to standing in front of the classroom, have held different occupations.  For some it was all part of the master plan and a natural progression to pursue their passion as educators.  For others, it was a chance meeting that would become a lifelong love and duty to serve their students and the […]

We continue our discussions about the innovative Bard Prison Initiative (BPI) to provide a college education for the incarcerated.  Through BPI, inmates are given opportunity to study college courses and earn associate and bachelors degrees.  BPI has facilitated a unique opportunity for its graduates to reinvent their lives and provide renewed hopes for their future.  […]

What do you take for granted?  What is the value of education?  What role does liberal arts play in our civilization?  If you were given a clean slate in life, a second chance, how might you live differently?  Our guest today has lived through a life of hell.  Incarcerated when 17 and having spent 20 […]

Heinrich Heine stated, “Where words leave off, music begins.”  There simply are no words to describe how music completes a large part of our life journey.  Music is universal, personal, magical, powerful, subtle, and romantic; music has the capacity to move and change us. The world of music is a central part of our guest […]

As the great great granddaughter of Booker T. Washington, Amanda Washington’s contribution to education remains very personal through her past work as a Spanish teacher for Teach for America.  Her current challenge is to define and produce a more diverse educational opportunity for all children.  As a graduate student at Columbia University’s Teacher’s College and […]

“Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty… I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.” -Teddy Roosevelt. The quote appropriately describes many dedicated educators.  […]

We continue our discussions about education in New Zealand with Mr. John Pipe in Auckland.  In this episode, John discusses the state of educators in New Zealand as well as the integration of Maori culture and new immigrants in the educational curriculum.  John further shares his role as an administrator and reflects his position outside […]

Many have admired Robin Williams’ charismatic and transformational character Mr. John Keating in the heartwarming film “The Dead Poet’s Society.”  Who can forget Mr. Keating commanding his students to rip away the introduction to the class poetry text, kindling the power and the beauty of poetry within the hearts of his students to follow their […]

I would like to take you to a place where your worst 1st world problems become meaningless and absurd.  Located on the NW part of Africa, Sierra Leone is a nation rebuilding itself after a bloody rebel war from 1991 to 2002.  How do you rebuild a country and provide for basic necessities?  How do […]

Some of us are fortunate to have a sense of direction at an early age; we have a goal and passionately pursue our dreams.  Few are lucky to find life’s calling at such early childhood.  Some of us are adrift in a vast ocean of life, in a boat without a rudder.  There are few […]