In the third episode of Why Arts?, I’m joined by Ryan Jenkins—co-founder of Wonderful Idea Co. and a longtime educator, tinkerer, and designer working at the intersection of art, science, and making.

Ryan’s work grows out of years spent at places like the Exploratorium and Tinkering 0School in San Francisco, where curiosity, experimentation, and hands-on learning are at the center. He has designed and prototyped projects for Maker Faires, science museums, schools, and libraries around the world, creating playful entry points into STEAM learning for learners of all ages.

In this conversation, we talk about Ryan’s own journey—from feeling intimidated by science to finding joy and confidence through making—and how art can open up new ways into science and technology. We explore tinkering as a way of thinking, why hands-on learning matters, and how setting thoughtful constraints can actually deepen creativity and innovation.

Why Arts? is a podcast that looks at the arts not as a separate subject, but as a way of thinking—one that helps people explore ideas, take risks, and make meaning across disciplines.

Image credits: Emil Steixner, Sebastian Funk and Oak School

🎧 Listen on YouTube and Spotify📲 Follow along on Instagram: @nanvi_at.el.ier

In the second episode of Why Arts?, I’m joined by Linda Nathan—educator, author, artist, and Lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Linda’s work centers on designing democratic schools, organizational change, and learning environments that place equity, creativity, and relationships at the core. She brings decades of experience founding and leading schools within the Boston Public Schools, including the Tobin Bilingual Middle School for the Arts, Fenway High School, and Boston Arts Academy.

In this conversation, we talk about what it really means to build arts-centered and democratic learning spaces, how leadership and school design shape culture, and why creativity and the arts are essential to meaningful, just education.

Why Arts? is a podcast that explores why the arts matter—not just as products, but as processes that shape learning, community, and imagination.

🎧 Listen on YouTube and Spotify
📲 Follow along on Instagram: @nanvi_at.el.ier

In the first episode of Why Arts?, I’m joined by Lisa Goddard, a PhD Fellow in Reggio Childhood Studies at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia / Fondazione Reggio Children.

Lisa’s work explores children’s play and pedagogical approaches that support deeper relationships between humans and more-than-human worlds.

She brings experience as a preschool teacher, pedagogista, curriculum developer, and educational consultant across Italy and the U.S.In this conversation, we explore what arts integration really looks like in Reggio-inspired learning, how art-making supports relationships and inquiry, and how children learn when we pay close attention to play, materials, and environment.

Why Arts? is a podcast series that explores why the arts matter—not just as products, but as processes that shape learning, community, and imagination.

Listen to the podcast on Youtube and Spotify.

Follow on instagram to stay updated - @nanvi_at.el.ier

A child who rarely spoke found their voice through clay.That moment didn’t show up in test scores—but it changed everything.

Why Arts? grew from moments like these. Not just visual arts—and not just art as a subject—but the arts as process, inquiry, relationship, and meaning-making.

This podcast explores the arts not as an “extra,” but as a way of thinking, relating, and learning—across classrooms, studios, and community spaces.Hosted by Nanvi Jhala, educator, artist and designer (Harvard Graduate School of Education ’25).

Why Arts? features conversations with educators, artists, dancers, theatre-makers, designers, and leaders who use artistic processes to explore ideas, teach across disciplines, and create belonging.

If you care about process over product, listening over rushing, and learning that honors the whole human—this is for you.