The Capital Region has a wealth of summer camps, school programs and special outreach organizations focused on giving girls and young women more personal options and opportunities. To discuss the many implications are: Kim Kelling, content director for WFSU Public Media; Roxanne Hughes and Carlos Villa from the High Magnetic Field Laboratory; Ericka McKibbon, executive director of Girls on the Run; and Trish Hanson, co-founder of MoLab.

From the small farm revival to the rise of community gardens and planned agricultural communities, healthful, locally-sourced produce is becoming the hottest commodity in America. To talk about the impacts on the Capital Region are: Sundiata Ameh-El of iGrow Whatever You Like; Herman Holley of Turkey Hill Farm (a member of the Red Hills Small Farm Alliance); and Molly Jameson with the UF/IFAS Leon County Extension office.

With the 2017 school year coming to a close, students can finally say goodbye for now to geometry, reading comprehension, the laws of thermodynamics and pop quizzes. But it’s much harder to close the book on hunger and food insecurity. More than half of Florida’s public school students are eligible free and reduced price meals during the academic school. But what happens to students in need during summer vacation? On this episode of Perspectives, we speak with some of the folks behind A Full

Tallahassee’s Goodwood Museum and Gardens is now featuring a collection of Clementine Hunter’s iconic artwork depicting Louisiana plantation life. After years of obscurity, Hunter’s work grew to such value that it was forged and FBI Special Agent Randy Deaton led the investigation that led to the forger’s guilty plea. Joining the discussion with Agent Deaton, Hunter biographer and collector Tom Whitehead and Goodwood Co-Executive Director Nancy Morgan.

A new statewide coalition of business, industry and education leaders has united in an effort to make Florida the nation’s primary site of healthcare research and related product development and manufacturing. On the studio panel: Ed Moore with the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida; and Amanda Bowen with the Manufacturers Association of Florida. The discussion also features an earlier recorded conversation with Florida Chamber CEO Mark Wilson.

A year-old coalition called “FWD.us” hopes Florida will be where national immigration reform starts through a coalition of groups advocating “common-sense solutions”. In studio are: FWD.Fla Organizer Sam Aguilar and Advocate Caesar Hernandez; and on the phone, President/CEO of the Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Julio Fuentes.

Upwards of 20% of the nation’s harvested fruits and vegetables never makes it to market because, while perfectly edible, it doesn’t meet the appearance standards of commercial grocery stores. Now a new program called Farmers Feeding Florida aims to divert that surplus produce to needy families who are food insecure. Our panel is: Robin Safley, executive director of Farmers Feeding Florida; Jay Johnson with JGL Produce, who works with farmers who provide crops to the program; and Second Harvest

Members of the Florida Dental Association talk about the newly-released Two Year Progress Report on the accessibility and affordability of dental care in Florida. They also address some common misperceptions about good dental health and the connection to overall wellness. On the panel: Drew Eason, FDA executive director/CEO; Dr, Bill D’Aiuto, FDA president and member of the Workforce Innovations Task Group, which developed the state’s Action for Dental Health Initiative; FDA Vice President and

Leon County’s Eighth Annual “Stomp Out” event is set for April 8 th at the Tallahassee Museum. Begun as part of the community’s campaign against juvenile Type II Diabetes, it now focuses on reversing the exploding trend of childhood obesity. To talk about that epidemic and the many community resources arrayed to fight it are: Nick Maddox, executive director of the Foundation for Leon County Schools; Courtney Atkins, executive director of Whole Child Leon; Dawn Springs, director of the

Listeners choose the topics and guide the conversation.