Little Minds, Big Talks

We can learn a lot from our children. A perfect example comes from Ms. Ryan Brazil’s 4th graders at Love Elementary School.

Students have created a podcast called "Little Minds Big Talks" which aims to educate and inspire elementary school students nationwide. The podcast addresses critical topics such as racism, gender identity, empathy, and more with fresh and youthful perspectives. Through heartfelt conversations with experts and community members, the podcast aims to promote inclusivity, empathy, and understanding in elementary schools across the country. In fact, the first two podcasts focus on neurodiversity.

In addition, students are empowered to run every aspect of the podcast, nurturing skills in communication, research, and leadership.

Something this extraordinary does not have regular school funding, so Ms. Brazil looked to AEF for help. Because of our generous donor community, AEF was able to provide a Teacher Mini Grant to fund purchases of microphones, headphones, USB audio interface, TRS pro balanced interconnect cables, a room divider, soundproofing panels, and a headphone amplifier. These resources enhance production quality, expand the podcast’s reach, and provide resources for students, enabling the empowerment of young voices and fostering a more informed and empathetic generation, something our world certainly needs!

Ryan wrote: "My class and I have been diving into our new products that we got from your generous grant. We have recorded a trailer and two full podcast episodes so far. We even had the mayor of Alameda in our class yesterday for an interview! ...Thank you so much for help making this a reality!"

Check out the podcast trailer here. You can also listen to their full podcasts on Apple, Spotify, etc. (click on the icons under 'Listen On' on that page).

Thank you to our children for leading the way in addressing difficult subjects and fostering empathy, thank you to Ms. Brazil for recognizing the power of youth voices, and thank all of YOU who make such extraordinary work possible through your support of AEF!

To read the article in the Alameda Post click here.