The Kids' Table

Our social ties help us thrive, and episode 11 is all about the science of social connection! The importance of relationships cannot be overstated, not only for our mental health, but for the neurological underpinnings that shape our experience of the world. Join us for a conversation with Dr. Rose Perry to discover the neuroscience behind social ties, partnering with communities to combat lonelieness, and the surprising connection between human infants and... rats?

Dr. Perry is the founder and executive director of Social Creatures, a non-profit with the mission to ensure any individual can connect with others, no matter the circumstances. You can follow her work at https://twitter.com/socialcreaturz and https://www.thesocialcreatures.org/.

Jodi Miller joins us for a thoughtful, evidence-based discussion of students' and teachers' wellbeing and the many factors that come together to determine a school's climate. We learn about her mission to integrate technology and science and bring it into students' hands- by creating an innovative app.  

Jodi is a PhD candidate at Johns Hopkins University and the founder of WellCheq. You can follow her work at https://twitter.com/jodes39 and https://twitter.com/CheqWell. Check out wellcheq.com to access teacher resources and learn more about the app.

In Episode 9, Dr. Angelia Puzio takes us on a journey to create a new culture of care that demystifies deeply rooted gender stereotypes and undercuts the brilliance bias to allow people to be human. Join us for a discussion of supporting girls in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and boys in HEED (healthcare, early education, and domestic work) careers.

Dr. Puzio is a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University and a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science. You can follow her work at https://twitter.com/angelicarozio.

Join us for episode 8, where we cover the latest trends in open and collaborative science with Dr. Melissa Kline Struhl from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). From preregistration to data sharing and replication, we discuss the many ways researchers can get involved.

Dr. Struhl is the Executive Director of Lookit, a website that lets families participate in cognitive development experiments from home. You can follow her work at http://www.melissaklinestruhl.com/.

In Episode 7, certified nurse-midwife Bridgette Holmes tells about the many ways healthcare workers support maternal and infant health in her never boring and often misunderstood profession. We discuss philosophies behind birth and delivery, the American Academy of Pediatric's new guidelines on breastfeeding, and policy reforms needed to support new parents. 

In our sixth installment, we're joined by Dr. Kristen Stack, a school psychologist, who takes us on a journey through the life and tells us all about student supports (especially during a difficult time, like the pandemic), evals, and... umpires?

Join us for episode five, where Dr. Jill Gandhi from the Center on Poverty and Social Policy tells us all about the incredible work scholars and advocates are doing examining how poverty shapes children's and families' lives -- and how we can use policy as a tool to end it.

Dr. Jill Gandhi is a postdoctoral researcher at Columbia University. You can follow her at https://twitter.com/jillgandhi

In episode four we are joined by PhDad extraordinaire, Dr. Kevin Wong, who teaches us all about the three m's: multilingualism, multiracialism, and multiculturalism. We celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month with a discussion of representation, children's literature, critical consciousness, and what it means to us to be multiracial today.

Dr. Kevin Wong is an assistant professor at Pepperdine University. You can follow his work at https://www.kevin-m-wong.com/

Join us for our first ever Teacher's Take, where we get the inside scoop about on-the-ground K-12 education from high-school English and Theater teacher, Ms. Tarah Threadgill. We discuss teacher burnout and retention, book banning, and possibilities for improving the conditions of teaching.

Join us for episode two, where we chat with Dr. Sam Melvin about the childcare landscape, the superheroes that are early childcare educators, programming quality, and why childcare is a social, racial, and economic justice issue.

Dr. Sam Melvin is an interdisciplinary researcher at the Erikson Institute. You can follow her work at https://www.samanthaamelvin.com/