Join us as we celebrate National FFA Week and sit down with Clinton High School! We chat with Hannah Redile, teacher and FFA Advisor, and her student, Davis Howell, Clinton FFA President and National FFA awardee. We talk about the amazing programs FFA has to offer, Davis' experience with the National FFA contest, and why all students should give FFA a try!

Ashley Aper is the principal at Chester-East Lincoln Elementary School and the Special Education Administrator for both CEL and Hartsburg-Emden in Logan County. In this episode, we talk about what inspired her to get into school leadership and how families can advocate for their students.

Lynn Shook is the Principal of Stevenson Elementary in Bloomington District 87. After coaching women's college basketball for 13 years, Lynn decided to put her teaching license to work and began teaching Physical Education. After realizing how much she loved being in schools, she eventually became a school administrator. Her journey to the classroom and principal's office is unconventional and inspiring!

Sara Welch is a Reading Interventionist at Northwest Elementary School for District 27 in Lincoln, IL. She is currently in her 20th year of teaching. Sara works with struggling readers using Reading Recovery and LETRS strategies, and sometimes a combination of both. The best part of her job is watching the light bulbs go on and everything clicking for her students!

Vanessa Tibbs is an Interventionalist at Olympia South Elementary in the Olympia CUSD 16 district. She has worked in a school library, owned a beauty salon, and served as a paraprofessional before finally finding her sweet spot as an Interventionalist and STEM leader in her building. Not only does Vanessa help students with all subjects, but she has dove into the world of STEM offering unique opportunities for K-12 students.

Jeff Spencer is a Science Instructional Coach for ROE # 17 with experience teaching at the college and high school levels. Through his work at ROE # 17, Jeff partners with school districts and K-12 teachers to design, adapt, and support classroom practices that align with the Next Generation Science Standards.

April Schermann is a math and computer science teacher at Normal West High School and a fierce advocate for STEM education. She is a 2023 Disney 100 Teacher, a 2023 Project Lead the Way National Computer Science Teacher of the Year, a multi-year recipient of the NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Educator Award, a 2019 Illinois Classroom Teacher of the Year Nominee, and a Girls Who Code Advisor, among other things. In this episode, we talk to April about all things science, technology, engineering, and math.

In this episode, we sit down with Frank Arnolts, Principal at Tri-Valley High School, and talk about his experience in education, and what he hopes for the future.

Frank Arnolts is in his second year as Principal of Tri-Valley High School. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Education and History from Illinois College and a Master’s in Educational Leadership from the University of St. Francis. He taught history and language arts at the middle school level for 9 years and has spent the last 8 years as a high school administrator. He knew from an early age that he wanted to be an educator, and this passion had only grown. He loves working with kids to help chart their unique paths to success, he is honored to work with many talented and passionate educators, and he is grateful to be connected with a network of professionals who inspire him to continue to learn, grow, and lead.

Tammy Wilson is the Executive Director of The Vault, a teen community center in Clinton. The Vault has a mission to help teens recognize their value, realize their potential, and reach their goals. They have a 10,000-foot facility where teens can hang out with friends, build relationships with adult mentors, participate in enriching activities, and give back to their community.

Learn more at https://www.thevaultclinton.org/

Note: This episode was recorded at the end of October, so there are some references to past events (Halloween and Veteran's Day) but we wanted to keep it in the episode to help demonstrate the variety of activities available to teens at The Vault.

Tera Graves is the Director of the Livingston Area Career Center and has been with the LACC for the past 14 years. In this episode, we learn about the different programs LACC offers, the areas they hope to grow, and how they make an impact in the lives of the students they serve.

Learn more at https://www.lacc.k12.il.us/