This Helps with Marlon Morgan

San Diego Unified School District Board Vice President, Senior Policy Advisor to California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and candidate for California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Richard Barrera, joins Marlon for a wide-ranging, hopeful conversation about education, democracy, and the power of community. They talk about cell-phone-free classrooms and the return of the "recess vibe," how to measure more than test scores, and why teaching kids to build real relationships may be the most important work of all.

✨ Join us at the 9th Annual Wellness Together Conference, happening September 29 - October 1 in San Diego, CA! Hear from incredible speakers, connect with fellow advocates, and be part of something meaningful. Use code thishelps for 10% off your registration.

🎥 Watch This Helps YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thishelpspodcast!

🔗 Stay connected with the podcast! Instagram: @thishelpspodcast For business: [email protected]

🔗 Stay connected with the podcast host, Marlon Morgan, Founder & CEO of Wellness Together Instagram: @mrmarlonmorgan LinkedIn: Marlon Morgan

📢 Know someone extraordinary who should be featured on This Helps? Visit https://www.thishelpspodcast.com/joinus and tell us all about it.

📓 FREE online mental health training at our Wellness Education Lab.WELLNESS EDUCATION LAB™ (WEL) is practical and empowering online mental health training. Each module offers three different versions for three unique audiences: students (13+), parents/guardians, and educators/school staff. Parents/guardians modules are also available in Spanish. ⛵️ Wellness Together is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation providing mental health services for students (K-12 and University), families, and educators on campus and online. Our mission is to deliver mental health support & programming to advance mental health awareness, advocacy, and access for everyone.

NOTE: If you or someone you know is experiencing a medical or psychiatric emergency, call 911. If you or someone you know needs to speak with someone immediately, call or text The Lifeline at 988.

Houston Kraft, educator, speaker, and co-founder of CharacterStrong, joins us to talk about what it really takes to build a kinder world. Author of Deep Kindness, Houston has worked with hundreds of schools helping students and educators move beyond "random acts" toward systems of belonging, empathy, and purpose. We dig into why kindness is a skill that must be taught, how culture shapes connection, and what it means to practice compassion in daily life. Stay connected with Houston Kraft:Instagram: @houstonkraft Purchase Deep Kindness: A Revolutionary Guide for the Way We Think, Talk, and Act in Kindness Learn more about CharacterStrong: https://www.characterstrong.com/ Instagram:@CharacterStrong

✨ Join us at the 9th Annual Wellness Together Conference, happening September 29 - October 1 in San Diego, CA! Hear from incredible speakers, connect with fellow advocates, and be part of something meaningful. Use code thishelps for 10% off your registration.

🎥 Watch This Helps YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thishelpspodcast!

🔗 Stay connected with the podcast! Instagram: @thishelpspodcast For business: [email protected]

🔗 Stay connected with the podcast host, Marlon Morgan, Founder & CEO of Wellness Together Instagram: @mrmarlonmorgan LinkedIn: Marlon Morgan

📢 Know someone extraordinary who should be featured on This Helps? Visit https://www.thishelpspodcast.com/joinus and tell us all about it.

📓 FREE online mental health training at our Wellness Education Lab.WELLNESS EDUCATION LAB™ (WEL) is practical and empowering online mental health training. Each module offers three different versions for three unique audiences: students (13+), parents/guardians, and educators/school staff. Parents/guardians modules are also available in Spanish. ⛵️ Wellness Together is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation providing mental health services for students (K-12 and University), families, and educators on campus and online. Our mission is to deliver mental health support & programming to advance mental health awareness, advocacy, and access for everyone.

NOTE: If you or someone you know is experiencing a medical or psychiatric emergency, call 911. If you or someone you know needs to speak with someone immediately, call or text The Lifeline at 988.

This week we're joined by Dr. Smita Malhotra, Chief Medical Director of Los Angeles Unified, pediatrician, author, and TEDx speaker. Dr. Malhotra helped led LAUSD's health response through the pandemic and brings a deeply holistic lens to student wellbeing. We talk about what resilience really looks like, why joy doesn't have to be complicated, and how showing up as fully human, both in medicine and in parenting, can change everything. Along the way, we get into her love of Bravo, her daughter's Biggie-inspired rap debut, and why health and education are inseparable when it comes to helping kids thrive.

Stay connected with Dr. Smita Malhotra: Instagram: @drsmita_md LinkedIn: smitamd

✨ Join us at the 9th Annual Wellness Together Conference, happening September 29 - October 1 in San Diego, CA! Hear from incredible speakers, connect with fellow advocates, and be part of something meaningful. Use code thishelps for 10% off your registration.

🎥 Watch This Helps YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thishelpspodcast!

🔗 Stay connected with the podcast! Instagram: @thishelpspodcast For business: [email protected]

🔗 Stay connected with the podcast host, Marlon Morgan, Founder & CEO of Wellness Together Instagram: @mrmarlonmorgan LinkedIn: Marlon Morgan

📢 Know someone extraordinary who should be featured on This Helps? Visit https://www.thishelpspodcast.com/joinus and tell us all about it.

📓 FREE online mental health training at our Wellness Education Lab.WELLNESS EDUCATION LAB™ (WEL) is practical and empowering online mental health training. Each module offers three different versions for three unique audiences: students (13+), parents/guardians, and educators/school staff. Parents/guardians modules are also available in Spanish. ⛵️ Wellness Together is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation providing mental health services for students (K-12 and University), families, and educators on campus and online. Our mission is to deliver mental health support & programming to advance mental health awareness, advocacy, and access for everyone.

NOTE: If you or someone you know is experiencing a medical or psychiatric emergency, call 911. If you or someone you know needs to speak with someone immediately, call or text The Lifeline at 988.

This week we're joined by author, activist, and theologian Brian McLaren for a conversation about collapse, connection, and finding courage in uncertain times. Brian is the author of Life After Doom: Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart and a longtime voice at the intersection of spirituality, justice, and social change.

We talk about ecological grief, capitalism, and the stories we've inherited about power, progress, and faith. Brian shares what it means to walk through hard truths without losing hope, and how deep relationships can keep us grounded, even and especially when the future feels uncertain.

Stay connected with Brian McLaren:

• Website: https://brianmclaren.net

• Podcast: Learning How to See

• Twitter/X: @brianmclaren

• Instagram: @brianmclaren

🎥 Watch This Helps YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thishelpspodcast!

🔗 Stay connected with the podcast! Instagram: @thishelpspodcast For business: [email protected]

🔗 Stay connected with the podcast host, Marlon Morgan, Founder & CEO of Wellness Together Instagram: @mrmarlonmorgan LinkedIn: Marlon Morgan

📢 Know someone extraordinary who should be featured on This Helps? Visit https://www.thishelpspodcast.com/joinus and tell us all about it.

📓 FREE online mental health training at our Wellness Education Lab.WELLNESS EDUCATION LAB™ (WEL) is practical and empowering online mental health training. Each module offers three different versions for three unique audiences: students (13+), parents/guardians, and educators/school staff. Parents/guardians modules are also available in Spanish. ⛵️ Wellness Together is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation providing mental health services for students (K-12 and University), families, and educators on campus and online. Our mission is to deliver mental health support & programming to advance mental health awareness, advocacy, and access for everyone.

NOTE: If you or someone you know is experiencing a medical or psychiatric emergency, call 911. If you or someone you know needs to speak with someone immediately, call or text The Lifeline at 988.

This week, we're joined by Augustus Mays, Vice President of Partnerships and Engagement at The Education Trust, for a powerful conversation about equity, opportunity, and the systems that shape young people's lives.

A longtime leader in education policy, Augustus draws from both personal experience and professional expertise to advocate for students who have been historically underserved. We talk about the legacy of civil rights legislation, the evolving role of the U.S. Department of Education, and why resource equity is key to ensuring every child–not just a lucky few–can thrive.

Along the way, Augustus shares how his father's early lessons shaped his purpose, how joy and justice go hand in hand, and what keeps him hopeful in the face of setbacks. Connect with August Mays and EdTrust: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/augustus-mays-35098222a/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edtrust Twitter: https://x.com/EdTrust Threads: https://www.threads.net/@edtrust Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edtrust/

🎥 Watch This Helps YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Mr.MarlonMorgan!

🔗 Stay connected with the podcast! Instagram: @thishelpspodcast For business: [email protected]

🔗 Stay connected with the podcast host, Marlon Morgan, Founder & CEO of Wellness Together Instagram: @mrmarlonmorgan LinkedIn: Marlon Morgan

📢 Know someone extraordinary who should be featured on This Helps? Visit https://www.thishelpspodcast.com/joinus and tell us all about it.

📓 FREE online mental health training at our Wellness Education Lab.WELLNESS EDUCATION LAB™ (WEL) is practical and empowering online mental health training. Each module offers three different versions for three unique audiences: students (13+), parents/guardians, and educators/school staff. Parents/guardians modules are also available in Spanish. ⛵️ Wellness Together is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation providing mental health services for students (K-12 and University), families, and educators on campus and online. Our mission is to deliver mental health support & programming to advance mental health awareness, advocacy, and access for everyone.

NOTE: If you or someone you know is experiencing a medical or psychiatric emergency, call 911. If you or someone you know needs to speak with someone immediately, call or text The Lifeline at 988.

In this episode, we talk with Vicki Shabo about what it means to build a more inclusive, care-centered economy. One that actually supports families and reflects real lives. A leading voice on paid leave and workplace equity, Vicki serves as Senior Fellow for Gender Equity, Paid Leave & Care Policy and Strategy at New America's Better Life Lab. She also leads Re-Scripting Gender, Work, Family, and Care, an initiative focused on changing the way caregiving and gender show up in entertainment media. Vicki shares insights from her policy work, stories from the front lines of advocacy, and how narrative change in Hollywood can help reshape what's possible in workplaces and beyond. Connect with Vicki Shabo: linkedin.com/in/vickishabo Learn More About Better Life Lab and New America: https://www.newamerica.org Better Life Lab Instagram: @betterlifelab_newamerica/ New America Linked In: linkedin.com/company/new-america-foundation New America Instagram: @newamericaorg

🎥 Watch This Helps YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Mr.MarlonMorgan!

🔗 Stay connected with the podcast! Instagram: @thishelpspodcast For business: [email protected]

🔗 Stay connected with the podcast host, Marlon Morgan, Founder & CEO of Wellness Together Instagram: @mrmarlonmorgan LinkedIn: Marlon Morgan

📢 Know someone extraordinary who should be featured on This Helps? Visit https://www.thishelpspodcast.com/joinus and tell us all about it.

📓 FREE online mental health training at our Wellness Education Lab.WELLNESS EDUCATION LAB™ (WEL) is practical and empowering online mental health training. Each module offers three different versions for three unique audiences: students (13+), parents/guardians, and educators/school staff. Parents/guardians modules are also available in Spanish. ⛵️ Wellness Together is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation providing mental health services for students (K-12 and University), families, and educators on campus and online. Our mission is to deliver mental health support & programming to advance mental health awareness, advocacy, and access for everyone.

NOTE: If you or someone you know is experiencing a medical or psychiatric emergency, call 911. If you or someone you know needs to speak with someone immediately, call or text The Lifeline at 988.

This week we're joined by Jill Murphy, Chief Content Officer at Common Sense Media, and self-proclaimed Golden Girls superfan. Jill has been at the forefront of media literacy since 2005, helping families navigate everything from streaming shows and video games, to social media apps and classroom tech. We talk about raising kids in a world of YouTube, iPads, and AI, how to build real connection through co-viewing, and how media can be a meaningful part of family life when approached with curiosity and care.

Connect with Common Sense Media: Website: commonsense.org Instagram: @commonsenseorg

🎥 Watch This Helps YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Mr.MarlonMorgan!

🔗 Stay connected with the podcast! Instagram: @thishelpspodcast For business: [email protected]

🔗 Stay connected with the podcast host, Marlon Morgan, Founder & CEO of Wellness Together Instagram: @mrmarlonmorgan LinkedIn: Marlon Morgan

📢 Know someone extraordinary who should be featured on This Helps? Visit https://www.thishelpspodcast.com/joinus and tell us all about it.

📓 FREE online mental health training at our Wellness Education Lab.WELLNESS EDUCATION LAB™ (WEL) is practical and empowering online mental health training. Each module offers three different versions for three unique audiences: students (13+), parents/guardians, and educators/school staff. Parents/guardians modules are also available in Spanish. ⛵️ Wellness Together is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation providing mental health services for students (K-12 and University), families, and educators on campus and online. Our mission is to deliver mental health support & programming to advance mental health awareness, advocacy, and access for everyone.

NOTE: If you or someone you know is experiencing a medical or psychiatric emergency, call 911. If you or someone you know needs to speak with someone immediately, call or text The Lifeline at 988.

Nicole Hockley, co-founder and co-CEO of Sandy Hook Promise, joins us to talk about grief, prevention, and what it really means to protect our kids. Since losing her son Dylan in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Nicole has transformed unimaginable pain into a national movement rooted in connection, compassion, and action.

Drawing from her experience leading one of the most impactful violence prevention organizations in the country, Nicole shares what she's learned about trauma-informed school safety, the importance of early intervention, and how small acts of care can save lives.

Learn More About Sandy Hook Promise: https://sandyhookpromise.org Connect with Nicole Hockley: Twitter: https://x.com/nicolehockley LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolehockley Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolehockleyshp

🎥 Watch This Helps YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Mr.MarlonMorgan!

🔗 Stay connected with the podcast! Instagram: @thishelpspodcast For business: [email protected]

🔗 Stay connected with the podcast host, Marlon Morgan, Founder & CEO of Wellness Together Instagram: @mrmarlonmorgan LinkedIn: Marlon Morgan

📢 Know someone extraordinary who should be featured on This Helps? Visit https://www.thishelpspodcast.com/joinus and tell us all about it.

📓 FREE online mental health training at our Wellness Education Lab.WELLNESS EDUCATION LAB™ (WEL) is practical and empowering online mental health training. Each module offers three different versions for three unique audiences: students (13+), parents/guardians, and educators/school staff. Parents/guardians modules are also available in Spanish. ⛵️ Wellness Together is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation providing mental health services for students (K-12 and University), families, and educators on campus and online. Our mission is to deliver mental health support & programming to advance mental health awareness, advocacy, and access for everyone.

NOTE: If you or someone you know is experiencing a medical or psychiatric emergency, call 911. If you or someone you know needs to speak with someone immediately, call or text The Lifeline at 988.

Journalist and author Anya Kamenetz joins us to talk about what it means to raise thriving kids in a changing world. Drawing from her bestselling book The Stolen Year: How COVID Changed Children's Lives, and Where We Go Now and her Substack The Golden Hour, Anya shares what she's learned from reporting on screen time, trauma, and climate anxiety, and how her own values shifted in the wake of the pandemic.

Connect with Anya Kamenetz Substack: https://thegoldenhour.substack.com Website: http://www.anyakamenetz.net Anya's Books: http://www.anyakamenetz.net/books Instagram: @anyakamenetz

🎥 Watch This Helps YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Mr.MarlonMorgan!

🔗 Stay connected with the podcast! Instagram: @thishelpspodcast For business: [email protected]

🔗 Stay connected with the podcast host, Marlon Morgan, Founder & CEO of Wellness Together Instagram: @mrmarlonmorgan LinkedIn: Marlon Morgan

📢 Know someone extraordinary who should be featured on This Helps? Visit https://www.thishelpspodcast.com/joinus and tell us all about it.

📓 FREE online mental health training at our Wellness Education Lab.WELLNESS EDUCATION LAB™ (WEL) is practical and empowering online mental health training. Each module offers three different versions for three unique audiences: students (13+), parents/guardians, and educators/school staff. Parents/guardians modules are also available in Spanish. ⛵️ Wellness Together is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation providing mental health services for students (K-12 and University), families, and educators on campus and online. Our mission is to deliver mental health support & programming to advance mental health awareness, advocacy, and access for everyone.

NOTE: If you or someone you know is experiencing a medical or psychiatric emergency, call 911. If you or someone you know needs to speak with someone immediately, call or text The Lifeline at 988.

New York Times bestselling author Dr. Anna Malaika Tubbs joins us to talk about the power of storytelling, the roots of American patriarchy, who gets erased from history, and why. Drawing from her bestselling book The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation and her forthcoming release Erased: What American Patriarchy Has Hidden from Us, Anna shares how cultural memory is shaped, why some voices are silenced, and how reclaiming lost narratives can challenge systems of power and create space for something new. Purchase The Three Mothers and pre-order Erased: https://annamalaikatubbs.com/bookshelf 🔗Connect with Anna Malaika Tubbs: Instagram: @annamalaikatubbs 🎥 Watch This Helps YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Mr.MarlonMorgan!

🔗 Stay connected with the podcast! Instagram: @thishelpspodcast For business: [email protected]

🔗 Stay connected with the podcast host, Marlon Morgan, Founder & CEO of Wellness Together Instagram: @mrmarlonmorgan LinkedIn: Marlon Morgan

📢 Know someone extraordinary who should be featured on This Helps? Visit https://www.thishelpspodcast.com/joinus and tell us all about it.

📓 FREE online mental health training at our Wellness Education Lab.WELLNESS EDUCATION LAB™ (WEL) is practical and empowering online mental health training. Each module offers three different versions for three unique audiences: students (13+), parents/guardians, and educators/school staff. Parents/guardians modules are also available in Spanish. ⛵️ Wellness Together is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation providing mental health services for students (K-12 and University), families, and educators on campus and online. Our mission is to deliver mental health support & programming to advance mental health awareness, advocacy, and access for everyone.

NOTE: If you or someone you know is experiencing a medical or psychiatric emergency, call 911. If you or someone you know needs to speak with someone immediately, call or text The Lifeline at 988.