Navigating STL Schools: A Podcast

“College Bound is a great extracurricular, but it's also a commitment for our students.our goal is to make our students as comfortable and confident as they can be, as they matriculate to college and go on campuses.” -WyKeshia Atkins

Today’s guests are College Bound’s WyKeshia Atkins, Director of Strategic Partnerships, and Kynidi Miller, Recruitment Coordinator. WyKeshia and Kynidi sat down with Staci to discuss the expansive services offered by College Bound, instilling confidence in students heading into college, and the impact of community throughout the process.

“School choice is not a problem when you have families that are paying for the schools…it is only weaponized when our middle and low class families are offered this choice…[STL Voices Academy is] bringing the benefits that affluent families have benefitted from for years now, and we’re bringing it, making it more accessible for all families, and now it’s a problem.”-Steward Stiles

Today’s guest is Steward Stiles, the Associate Director of Student Recruitment and Family Partnership at STL Voices Academy of Media Arts. Steward sat down with Staci to discuss finding the right educational fit, the value our children have in STL’s education system, navigating restrictive legislation on the recruiting of students, and more.

“When we are playing with our kiddos, and we have those positive interactions with them, we’re building relationships in a situation that’s not so intense. So, when we are able to play in times of low stress, when stressors do come up, you can open up those communication lines.” ”

-Jennifer Ilardi

Today’s guest is Jennifer Ilardi, the founder of Simple Positive Play. Jennifer sat down with Staci to discuss the inspiration behind Simple Positive Play, how the community benefits from a playful space like this, and how play can prepare children for the classroom.

“For SLPS, not only are you not educating the kids in your stead, but you have the audacity and the deep level of racism to limit other people from educating the kids that you refuse to. You either refuse to or are unable to, but for decades you have not.”  -Chester Asher  

Today’s guest is Chester Asher, Activist and leader at Coalition STL Kids. Chester sat down with Staci to discuss the dire need of improved reading scores in SLPS, how to create change within a large school system, and the need for accountability and goals in all of St. Louis school systems.

“How do we get to a place where our public school kids are getting as high of a quality education and as equitable an education as some of the students in private schools?” -Leslie Kohlmeyer

Today’s guest is Leslie Kohlmeyer, Executive Director of Show Me KC Schools. Leslie sat down with Staci to discuss the Common App and its benefits to KC residents, focusing on logistics first when choosing a school, and ways for students to get the most out of their K-12 education before entering the workforce.

“For SLPS, not only are you not educating the kids in your stead, but you have the audacity and the deep level of racism to limit other people from educating the kids that you refuse to. You either refuse to or are unable to, but for decades you have not.” 
-Chester Asher  

Today’s guest is Chester Asher, Activist and leader at Coalition STL Kids. Chester sat down with Staci to discuss the dire need of improved reading scores in SLPS, how to create change within a large school system, and the need for accountability and goals in all of St. Louis school systems.

“In my class, we talk about standards. We talk about expectations on what you want for your life. And so being able to identify those things at 13 years old and knowing what you want for your future…is really eye opening.”  -Nick McDowell

Today’s guest is Nick McDowell, the Director of Graduate Support at Loyola Academy. Nick sat down with Staci to discuss the support Loyola Academy offers their students, encouraging parents to be more engaged with their child’s education, and helping students choose the right school for them.

“We've seen through numerous studies the significant return on investment that can come from having a really high quality early childhood education experience and that has become a really important cause to PNC.”  -Sarah Bowman 

Today’s guest is Sarah Bowman, Vice President & Director of Client and Community Relations at PNC. Sarah sat down with Staci to discuss PNC’s Grow Up Great Program, collaborating with Sesame Street Workshop, and helping build a stronger local economy through investment in early childhood education.

“A lot of children, because they struggle with the mechanics of reading itself… it discourages them from even reading a chapter book or going beyond what they feel their own limitations are. So seeing yourself in a book…it gets them interested.”  -Ymani Wince

Today’s guest is Ymani Wince, Owner of The Noir Bookshop. Ymani sat down with Staci to discuss her love for books, the inspiration for opening her bookstore, book vending machines, and tips for encouraging children to get excited about literature.

“When I began to work with City Hope, it drove home that [unhoused people] are humans. That they had some challenges. That they are needing some support, some care, some love, and, most of all, to be treated with dignity” 

-Mike Willis

Today’s guests are City Hope St. Louis’s CEO Pastor Mike Robinson and Director of Operations Mike Willis. Pastor Mike and Mike sit down with Staci to discuss common misconceptions for unhoused individuals, the struggles of acquiring identification, and helping unhoused youth continue their education.