Voices United in Education

By Escambia County Public Schools

Hear the positive stories in education that don’t make the news. You’ll hear uplifting stories of student, parent and teacher impact in Escambia County. Meredith Hackwith Edwards interviews teacher

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FAQs about Voices United in Education:

How many episodes does Voices United in Education have?

The podcast currently has 182 episodes available.

Voices United in Education episodes:

January 20, 2026 Ep 181 | From F to Honor Roll: the SOAR Academy story
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For students who struggle in school, something and someone special is accelerating them toward their diploma and career opportunities. Marquette Oliver is the Director of SOAR Academy at Pine Forest High School, a program began as an acceleration program for incoming over age freshman but now includes other students as well. He is the someone and is more than happy to share how both the students and program are evolving and what students have to say about its impact.
Guest: Marquette Oliver
Parents & kids will get to interact with free and low-cost educational and community resources & district leaders, enjoy a live animal presentation by animal tales, get giveaways from the vendors & amazing food from local food trucks! Plus one lucky guest will win a $250 Amazon gift card!
The event is free so mark your calendars for Saturday, February 28th. 10am-1pm at Booker T Washington High School.

Learn more about Escambia County School District: https://www.escambiaschools.org/
Find additional links: https://www.voicesunitedineducation.com/podcast-episodes

Host: Meredith Hackwith Edwards
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24min
January 13, 2026 Ep 180 | Social Media: Holding big tech accountable
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Is social media designed to be addictive? Why are multiple lawsuits seeking damages for the damage it is causing to our kids? Emmie Paulos is an attorney at Levin Papantonio and the Court Appointed Leadership in the Federal Social Media Addiction Litigation. In this episode, she shares why the firm is taking social media seriously and why you should too.
Guests: Emmie Paulos
https://levinlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Social-Media-Addiction-Litigation-Booklet.pdf
https://levinlaw.com/social-media-harm-lawsuits/?fbclid=IwY2xjawOm9ZhleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFER2c1ODdYZDIwc0hlUWtxc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHqZLKvdZuxCrJVqTvpNV_Pz7G2JWxfdmHDYxmalNCJ3dLQra-XTMMnkam3C2_aem_HuSyyf09Hrgdedvry1FREg
Parents & kids will get to interact with free and low-cost educational and community resources & district leaders, enjoy a live animal presentation by animal tales, get giveaways from the vendors & amazing food from local food trucks! Plus one lucky guest will win a $250 Amazon gift card!
The event is free so mark your calendars for Saturday, February 28th. 10am-1pm at Booker T Washington High School.

Learn more about Escambia County School District: https://www.escambiaschools.org/
Find additional links: https://www.voicesunitedineducation.com/podcast-episodes

Host: Meredith Hackwith Edwards
...more
29min
January 06, 2026 Ep 179 | Special Olympics: Passing the torch & uniting us
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Did you know that Pensacola has hosted a Special Olympics event for the last 20 years? Do you know what school continues to pass the torch? Sondra Hill is the Director of Exceptional Student Education and Laura Touchstone is the Principal of Tate High School. Together, they share the exciting impact to students, staff and the community, and dynamic logistics of hosting an event like this.
Guests: Sondra Hill & Laura Touchstone
Parents & kids will get to interact with free and low-cost educational and community resources & district leaders, enjoy a live animal presentation by animal tales, get giveaways from the vendors & amazing food from local food trucks! Plus one lucky guest will win a $250 Amazon gift card!
The event is free so mark your calendars for Saturday, February 28th. 10am-1pm at Booker T Washington High School.

Learn more about Escambia County School District: https://www.escambiaschools.org/
Find additional links: https://www.voicesunitedineducation.com/podcast-episodes

Host: Meredith Hackwith Edwards
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26min
December 30, 2025 Ep 178 | Public education: Funding the future!
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Why do our public schools need a foundation? Don’t taxes fund our public schools? Jo McArthur, Executive Director of the Escambia County Public Schools Foundation, shares behind the scenes of the foundation, what it has contributed to our community and why it matters.
Guests: Jo McArthur https://www.escambiaschools.org/departments/ecpsf/home Text Tools to 850-930-9939 or Foundation to 850-930-9939 to make a donation

Parents & kids will get to interact with free and low-cost educational and community resources & district leaders, enjoy a live animal presentation by animal tales, get giveaways from the vendors & amazing food from local food trucks! Plus one lucky guest will win a $250 Amazon gift card!
The event is free so mark your calendars for Saturday, February 28th. 10am-1pm at Booker T Washington High School.

Learn more about Escambia County School District: https://www.escambiaschools.org/
Find additional links: https://www.voicesunitedineducation.com/podcast-episodes

Host: Meredith Hackwith Edwards
...more
21min
December 23, 2025 Ep 177 | FREE hands-on science labs on SATURDAY!
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Who would pair Saturdays with science? Who is using Saturdays to spark young minds in Pensacola? Heath Parr is the STEM teacher at Brown Barge Middle School and instructor at Science Saturday. Shannon Nickinson is the Communications Director at IHMC. In this episode, they share how this free monthly event is getting kids excited about science and inspired for the future.
Guests: Heath Parr & Shannon Nickinson https://www.ihmc.us/life/science_saturdays/
Parents & kids will get to interact with free and low-cost educational and community resources & district leaders, enjoy a live animal presentation by animal tales, get giveaways from the vendors & amazing food from local food trucks! Plus one lucky guest will win a $250 Amazon gift card!
The event is free so mark your calendars for Saturday, February 28th. 10am-1pm at Booker T Washington High School.

Learn more about Escambia County School District: https://www.escambiaschools.org/
Find additional links: https://www.voicesunitedineducation.com/podcast-episodes

Host: Meredith Hackwith Edwards
...more
26min
December 16, 2025 Ep 176 | CyberCoast: Want an IT job? (OR IT in Pensacola: What’s possible?)
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Where do you look for IT jobs in Pensacola? What’s the difference between IT education at George Stone vs a four year University?
Snyder is the Instructor of Computer Systems & Information Technology at George Stone Technical College where programs cover everything from taking computers apart to cyber security. In this episode, Joe shares the potential and the practical of all things Pensacola IT.
Guests: Joe Snyder https://gstc.escambiaschools.org/programs/computer-systems-information-technology-csit/computer-systems-information-technology-cist
Parents & kids will get to interact with free and low-cost educational and community resources & district leaders, enjoy a live animal presentation by animal tales, get giveaways from the vendors & amazing food from local food trucks! Plus one lucky guest will win a $250 Amazon gift card!
The event is free so mark your calendars for Saturday, February 28th. 10am-1pm at Booker T Washington High School.

Learn more about Escambia County School District: https://www.escambiaschools.org/
Find additional links: https://www.voicesunitedineducation.com/podcast-episodes

Host: Meredith Hackwith Edwards
...more
30min
December 09, 2025 Ep 175 | K-8 together: benefits, concerns & parent feedback
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Is combining elementary & middle school a good idea? What does this look like logistically?
Dr. Michael Roberts, Director of Middle Schools for Escambia County Public Schools, talks about moving to K-6 at Cordova Park and West Pensacola and how K-8 at Longleaf will impact students, parents and teachers. You’ll hear what inspired these changes & the parent feedback so far.
Guests: Michael Roberts, EdD
Parents & kids will get to interact with free and low-cost educational and community resources & district leaders, enjoy a live animal presentation by animal tales, get giveaways from the vendors & amazing food from local food trucks! Plus one lucky guest will win a $250 Amazon gift card!
The event is free so mark your calendars for Saturday, February 28th. 10am-1pm at Booker T Washington High School.

Learn more about Escambia County School District: https://www.escambiaschools.org/
Find additional links: https://www.voicesunitedineducation.com/podcast-episodes

Host: Meredith Hackwith Edwards
...more
22min
December 02, 2025 Ep 174 | After graduation, what’s next for students with disabilities?
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How do you support your child’s transition into adulthood? How early should you start thinking about that?
For parents of students with disabilities, these are tough questions. Pam Cebula is the ECPS Program Specialist, supporting parents through their child’s education and development into the early years of adulthood. Stacey Shelnut is the ECPS Resource Teacher for pre-K through adults and a parent of a child with a disability. In this episode, these educators share details about the program and their perspective for what’s available and what’s possible.
Guests: Pam Cebula & Stacey Shelnut
Parents & kids will get to interact with free and low-cost educational and community resources & district leaders, enjoy a live animal presentation by animal tales, get giveaways from the vendors & amazing food from local food trucks! Plus one lucky guest will win a $250 Amazon gift card!
The event is free so mark your calendars for Saturday, February 28th. 10am-1pm at Booker T Washington High School.

Learn more about Escambia County School District: https://www.escambiaschools.org/
Find additional links: https://www.voicesunitedineducation.com/podcast-episodes

Host: Meredith Hackwith Edwards
...more
34min
November 25, 2025 Ep 173 | The Latin legacy effect!
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Why Latin club? What does a Latin club competition look like? What unconventional methods are working for students?
Dr. Dana Boddy is the Principal of Escambia High School and Amy Hornick is the Latin teacher as well as the record holder for longest time taught at the school – 36 years! In this episode, they share how Latin club is not just a competitive outlet, but gives students a competitive & social edge.
Guests: Amy Hornick & Dana Boddy, EdD
Parents & kids will get to interact with free and low-cost educational and community resources & district leaders, enjoy a live animal presentation by animal tales, get giveaways from the vendors & amazing food from local food trucks! Plus one lucky guest will win a $250 Amazon gift card!
The event is free so mark your calendars for Saturday, February 28th. 10am-1pm at Booker T Washington High School.

Learn more about Escambia County School District: https://www.escambiaschools.org/
Find additional links: https://www.voicesunitedineducation.com/podcast-episodes

Host: Meredith Hackwith Edwards
...more
29min
November 18, 2025 Ep 172 | Emerald waters = big green careers for boat techs!
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How can six different courses be taught within one program? What does computer technology have to do with boats? What benefits are students graduating with?
Stefan Schmitt is the marine service technology instructor at George Stone Technical College, recognized by Yamaha as the top US school for student job placement. He is also the host of BoatSmart on NewRadio Pensacola. In this episode, he gives us an insider look into the program, students and industry.
Guest: Stefan Schmitt https://gstc.escambiaschools.org/programs/programs/marine-service-technologies | https://www.youtube.com/@TricksoftheTrade2025
Parents & kids will get to interact with free and low-cost educational and community resources & district leaders, enjoy a live animal presentation by animal tales, get giveaways from the vendors & amazing food from local food trucks! Plus one lucky guest will win a $250 Amazon gift card!
The event is free so mark your calendars for Saturday, February 28th. 10am-1pm at Booker T Washington High School.

Learn more about Escambia County School District: https://www.escambiaschools.org/
Find additional links: https://www.voicesunitedineducation.com/podcast-episodes

Host: Meredith Hackwith Edwards
...more
27min

FAQs about Voices United in Education:

How many episodes does Voices United in Education have?

The podcast currently has 182 episodes available.