The OtterCares Podcast

At OtterCares, we love to invest in ideas that have the power to transform young people and unleash the maker, doer and giver inside each and every student. But this transformation cannot be made alone. That is why we are eager to tap into the passions and talents of educators who are cultivating tomorrow's change-makers using hands-on and innovative approaches to learning. We not only seek to partner with these likeminded educators, we want to help create more educators to transform even more students! We're partnering with MindSpark Learning to kick off our inaugural NoCO IgnitED event! This event is designed to bring together educators, business leaders and community members to discover ways to not only prepare students for the workforce of tomorrow but to help cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset and spirit in young people, setting them up to be the innovators, problem-solvers and world-changers who will transform our communities and world for the better. Check it out!

Welcome to episode 7 of the OtterCares Podcast! In this amazing episode, we chat with STEM Coordinator, Becky Woodcocks and parent volunteer, Kelli Wallace about their students' experience using Project Heart! Becky and our very own Sarah Weeks collaborated on integrated our Project Heart content into Becky's afterschool leadership club, STAR Squad, and the results were incredible! Get ready to be inspired and listen to Becky and Kelli's awesome story!

We've sat down with Kellie, the CEO of MindSpark, to talk about our incredible partnership and collaboration on one of their flagship programs, Education Accelerator! Get ready to be inspired and learn more about how you can get involved in EA to advance and elevate your school or organization's educational goals!

Welcome to episode 5 of the OtterCares Podcast! In this episode, we get the opportunity to chat with an extraordinary Otter who is not only passionate about the work she does but also about the service she gives to others. We talked with Shanshan about her incredible volunteer experience and what she is doing to create impact in her community while celebrating and preserving her culture. She also shares some ideas and tips for how you can get into volunteering and find a project that is just right for you! Check it out!

It's National Volunteer Week! In this episode, we chat about all things volunteering and how you can find ways to give back, even from home! We also chat about our annual volunteer day, closed2open! Tricia Vincent, our Senior Director of Grants and Programs, shares the genesis of this incredible day of giving, what is different this year and why this day is so important to our company and our communities! Don't miss it!

We sat down with one of our awesome partners, Christian Ludwig at the Vista Innovation and Design Academy in Vista, Calif. and chatted about how he has brought Project Heart to his students in an unique and entrepreneurial way! Have a listen and then visit https://myprojectheart.org/resources/projectheartvida to get access to Christian's materials and use them in your classroom today! 

To create change, you have to have community. Meet one of our amazing community partners, Colorado Succeeds, and hear how we are working together to help connect community and education to help prepare students for tomorrow!

Happy New Year to all of our listeners! We're so excited about a new year full of new opportunities to create impact! In this episode, we talk a little bit about our plans for 2021, share thoughts about how we can make the most out of the year and share some teasers into future Podcast episodes. Are you ready to make 2021 a year to remember (in a good way!)? Let's do it!

Our last episode of 2020!

It's been a crazy year but that hasn't stopped us from working hard to continue to grow our impact through our mission while staying true to our core value of giving back. We sat down with our Executive Director, Linda Crum, to reflect on the successes and accomplishments this year while sharing some of our goals for 2021. Get INSPIRED!!!

Thank you to ALL of our amazing listeners for making our pilot year so incredible! Stay tuned for a new year full of new stories, new tips and more ways to Ignite Tomorrow Today!

Happy National Entrepreneurship Month! In this episode we get to chat with one of our amazing education partners, Erin Bley, all about teaching students the fundamentals of thinking and being an entrepreneur!