social studies conneCTion

Having taught many secondary social studies courses, Wesley Hedgepeth currently teaches AP U.S. Government, AP Comparative Politics and World History at Collegiate School in Richmond, Virginia. In 2023, he was elected to be the National Council for the Social Studies President. 

Returning to the podcast, Larissa Babij, was born in the United States to Ukrainia-American parents, and attended school in Manchester, CT where she was taught by co-host Steve Armstong. Living in Kyiv, Ukraine since 2005, Larissa chronicled the first year of Russia's unilateral, full scale invasion of Ukraine through vivid dispatches that she posted on her website, now collected and published as "A Kind of Refugee: The Story of an American Who Refused to Leave Ukraine". 

Daniel Martinez HoSang is a professor of American studies at Yale and a member of the Anti-Racist Teaching and Learning Collective Steering Committee. Before graduate school, Dan worked as a community and labor organizer for many years, focused in part on student and parent organizing. And nowadays, Dan works with educators in a variety of roles, from leading professional development workshops to connecting college students with teachers in New Haven public schools. 

Irene Parisi is the chief academic officer of the Connecticut State Department of Education. As a chief academic officer, Irene has been working with the team to co-create a renewed ecosystem of support for Connecticut school districts to rewrite the rules for educational design and delivery. She's recognized statewide for her work in designing digital and remote learning environments, developing open education resources, and for her commitment to advancing equity through any time, anywhere, access to model curricula and open education resources.

From Fairfield Ward High School, juniors Brady Anderson and Sabrina Cassano discuss studying history at a time when world events are rapidly unfolding before them. A junior student athlete, when Brady isn't studying and admiring the history of the United States, he plays golf as the captain for the Ward varsity golf team. Sabrina Cassano contributes actively to her school community as the captain of mock trial, editor-in-chief of the Focus newspaper, and President of Readers Book Club.

Peter Moran is the project director for Civics Education for Connecticut Students  at the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History. He is an alum of the Public History Program at Central Connecticut State University and has worked as a museum educator at different historical institutions across Connecticut. 

This episode, Maryam Wardak, the Social Studies Teaching and learning supervisor for magnet schools, discuss her passionate commitment to student learning and achievement through the use of research based pedagogical approaches catering to diverse needs, interests and backgrounds . Skilled in designing creative and rigorous standards based curriculum that incorporates technology to support digital learning, Maryam is an active team player with strong interpersonal skills, which actively collaborates and fosters positive relationships with all levels of staff, students and community at large. 

Lisa Olivere started her professional career in the private sector working for Poland Spring Water, before dedicating herself to 30 years of experience in public education. Currently, she is the director of K-12 Social Studies at Fairfield Public Schools.
In 2012, she received the Susan B Anthony Award for Creative Leadership in Women's Rights from the Connecticut Education Association, for co-founding and co advising Woodland for Women Worldwide, a school based organization that focused on advancing the rights of women and children within the community and around the world.

Lynn Mervosh is the Site Administrator for the North Central Region for Connecticut Landmarks, which includes historic sites such as the Butler-McCook House & Garden and the Isham-Terry House, both in Hartford, and the Phelps-Hatheway House & Garden in Suffield. Impacted by her youth growing up during the bicentennial celebration year of the United States and witnessing the celebration of history, Lynn has worked in historic preservation for the past 15 years and enjoys maintaining historic properties to inspire an understanding of our complex past by sharing them with our communities. 

Having worked in public education for over 20 years, Jessica Blitzer currently serves as the secondary supervisor for history and Social Studies in West Hartford, Connecticut. She supports quality teaching and learning through developing professional learning, evaluating coaching and developing a curriculum in which all students see themselves as history and social studies learners.  She works with districts to enable schools and individual teachers to eliminate structural inequities through applying a systems thinking approach.