In this episode of The Early Link Podcast, host Rafael Otto chats with producer John Nimmo and parents Gabriel and Casey—contributors to the new film Families Embracing Anti-Bias Values. Together, they explore what it means to raise children who recognize, celebrate, and take pride in differences. They discuss the anxiety and hope of parenting in uncertain times, the power of acknowledging mixed-race identities within a family, and how everyday moments—from a “raise your hand” game at home to honest community dialogue—shape kids into empathetic, confident advocates for equity. This episode offers a warm, unvarnished look at how families are pushing back against fear and creating more inclusive, compassionate worlds alongside their children.

This episode of The Early Link Podcast features Dr. Stephanie Curenton, a professor at Boston University’s Wheelock College of Education and Human Development and the lead evaluator for Multnomah County’s Preschool for All program. Dr. Curenton brings her personal and professional expertise in early childhood development, emphasizing her passion for creating high-quality early learning experiences, influenced by her own time as a Head Start student.

Dr. Curenton outlines the objectives of the Preschool for All program, which is now in its third year, with a racial equity framework built into its design. The program, offering more than 2,000 preschool slots for the 2024-2025 school year, aims to create equitable access to early learning opportunities for families throughout Multnomah County. She highlights the intentional efforts to reach children from diverse racial, ethnic, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, emphasizing that equity must extend beyond race to include ability, gender identity, and financial considerations.

"What this mother said is nothing about us without us, and that was really this value of making sure that we center the voices of the children and families who are actually enrolled in this program and that they have a stake in this, and that they have access to all of this information to help learn and grow. I think for me, the responsibility as researchers that is placed upon us to make sure that we are sharing information and that we're telling the stories of the community in a way that is respectful, a way that is really honoring who they are and the values that they place around this, and what the community has invested."

In this episode of The Early Link Podcast, we explore what the city of Ashland, Oregon is doing to improve access to child care and early learning in the city and the region. Ashland is located in Southern Oregon, not far from the California border, and has a population of about 22,000 residents. It is known for being one of the best small towns in America and for the world-famous Oregon Shakespeare Festival. But in this interview, we'll raise some visibility for the work happening in the city to support young children and their families. Paula Hyatt, an Ashland city councilor, has taken a lead role in this work. With a background in finance and banking, national defense and healthcare, she's been keenly interested in the importance of a diversified economy and the need to bring people together to create solutions for kids and working families.

"So why did the council do that? Why did we feel that that was a good use of our resources? It's largely because when you do these investments, you are investing in families, but you're also investing in your local economy. If you have folks who have quality care for their kids, they can pursue the employment they're seeking, they can pursue higher education, which in turn means there's a greater labor pool for folks to hire from, less turnover for employers. So, it tends to be symbiotic in that it helps the families, but it also helps our local business."

We visited Grants Pass, Oregon recently and spoke with Nevin Van Manen, the principal at Highland Elementary about school culture, and community, and what it means to be from Grants Pass, from Oregon, and from the United States. Special thanks to Adam Davis from Oregon Humanities for co-hosting this interview, and to the students and educators we've spoken with in Grants Pass who we've spoken with in recent months. Learn more about our work at childinst.org.

"Citizenship is how we treat one another. It's how we are to each other, it's how we help each other. Even if I don't disagree, if you're need of help, I'm going to help you. For some of our kids who struggle with all the horrible things that people are going through like poverty, the hope is can we break that cycle somehow... can we break the cycle of feeling like you're just stuck in this."

"Something that we can all take away is: what do students need? What do young people need? What do they think is working in their school? What's not working? And hear from them and actually, and don't just give it lip service and say, 'student voice, student voice.' Like, what are the students saying? What are they voicing?" — Elizabeth Miller

In this episode of The Early Link Podcast, host Rafael Otto speaks with Rob Manning and Elizabeth Miller from Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) about their groundbreaking long-term reporting project, the "Class of 2025." Started in 2013, the project follows a group of students from first grade through their anticipated high school graduation in 2025.

Rob and Elizabeth share the origins of the project, sparked by then-Governor John Kitzhaber's ambitious goal of a 100% high school graduation rate by 2025. They discuss the challenges and rewards of following the same cohort of students over more than a decade, including building deep relationships with families and adapting to significant events like the COVID-19 pandemic.

The conversation highlights compelling individual stories that shed light on broader issues within the education system, such as student engagement, resource allocation, and the critical importance of relationships between students and educators. They also reflect on shifting educational policies and goals, and what these mean for the students they've been following.

As they approach the culmination of the project, Rob and Elizabeth consider its impact on their understanding of education in Oregon and the potential lessons for policymakers, educators, and the community at large.

This co-production, in partnership with The Detour at Oregon Humanities, is part of an ongoing series to elevate youth voice. What do kids think about identity and becoming? Tune in to find out!

In this episode, we asked young people at Slater Elementary School in Burns and Highland Elementary School in Grants Pass about how their schools, their towns, the state of Oregon, and the United States shape who they are. In the process, they told us about other places—other countries, states, towns, and schools—that have contributed to how they understand themselves and who they are becoming. You'll also hear from a few school administrators and parents about how places inform our ideas about ourselves.

Thank you to everyone at Slater Elementary School and Highland Elementary School for welcoming us into their schools, especially the kids who shared their thoughts with us: Ripley, Jayden, Hazel, Sawyer, Stacy, Hanith, Harshine, Kegan, Cecil, Johnie, Kamden, Kellen, Penelope, Sawyer, Mikeal, Andi, Leiana, and Tucker.

Special thanks to Adam Davis and the production team at Oregon Humanities for their work on this episode.

Can you imagine a world without sound? Can you imagine a classroom of young learners exploring sound to spark creativity, learning, and play? In this segment, host Rafael Otto talks with Hayes Greenfield, the founder of Creative Sound Play, a sound-based, generative learning system for preschool students and teachers. He is also an award-winning musician, film composer, and sound artist. He has been working with young people in many ways for the past 30 years, and that includes working as a teaching artist in public and private K-12 schools. He currently teaches at places like the National Head Start Association and the Global Childhood Academy. Tune in!

In this episode, host Rafael Otto visits Grants Pass, Oregon, to talk with Shannon Bilbao and Susan Peck from Gilbert Creek Child Development Center. They discuss why inclusive classrooms are so valuable for healthy development for all children and share examples of what they see in their classrooms. They also discuss the growing needs among young children in the aftermath of COVID and two of the biggest obstacles to serving more children: appropriately trained staff and the physical space to serve children. A promising venture, however, with Highland Elementary aims to solve those two challenges with a new and growing partnership. Tune in and share!

In this episode of the Early Link Podcast, the Children's Institute communications team records a longform story by CI Guest Contributor, Adriane Blackman. Blackman's story, "An Ecosystem of Care and Community," delves into the transformation of early childhood education in Yoncalla, Oregon, documenting the impact of CI's Early Works initiative in partnership with incredible folks from across the community.

Through collaborative efforts and a commitment to responsive teaching, integrated health care access, and enhanced family engagement, the town of Yoncalla has created a holistic approach to education that prioritizes social-emotional learning and people-powered resilience. Supported by leaders including Brian Barry and CI's own Erin Helgren, the gradual evolution of educational practices and environments has led to improved academic performance, fewer developmental disruptions, and a culture of empowerment among students and staff alike. As the community embraces its strengths and values, Yoncalla is planting seeds for a brighter future, cultivating an ecosystem of care and community to support the success of its children and future generations.

For our final episode in collaboration with Oregon Humanities: The Detour's series on belonging, we talked with students at Fern Hill Elementary School in Forest Grove and Crestview Heights Elementary in Waldport about where they feel they belong and how to help others feel like they belong. You'll also hear from a few adults who work at these schools about how they create a welcoming community inside and outside of the classroom.

Thank you to everyone at Fern Hill Elementary School and Crestview Heights Elementary for welcoming us into their schools.