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The Making After-School Cool Podcast is an essential part of the CASE for Kids push to increase the awareness of resources that improve quality in the after-school and out-of-school time field. Join Mike Wilson and field experts as they discuss best practices, the growth mindset, project-based learning, social emotional learning, restorative practices and student engagement all with after-school providers in mind. Brought to you by Case4Kids
Episodes

Monday Aug 15, 2022
Episode 98: The Importance of Young Adults Working with Youth Initiatives
Monday Aug 15, 2022
Monday Aug 15, 2022
Attracting young adults to work with programs supporting youth is important yet can sometimes be difficult to achieve. However, when agencies can identify and engages young adults to play a role in the coordination of youth services then the benefits can be positive, and the programs become more appealing to school aged students. Therefore, this episode of Making After School Cool Podcast focuses on the importance of young adults, working with youth initiatives. To speak on this topic is Ms. Fernanda Marrero who is the Program Manager for the City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Education
During this podcast you will learn more regarding the following:
- The educational journey of a first-generation college graduate?
- Why is it important to have initiatives targeting girls for STEM type careers?
- Information concerning the City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Education particularly the Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights?
- Why is it important for young adults be involved in youth related issues?
Guest
My guest today is Ms. Fernanda Marrero who is the Program Manager for the City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Education. Fernanda is a first-generation college graduate of the University of Houston, and a certified teacher through the teachHOUSTON program. She is currently working on her master’s in education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Fernanda has a passion for making STEM more accessible to underrepresented groups and has worked with programs which makes computer science education accessible to all students.
Resources
Fernanda Marrero
Fernanda.Marrero@HoustonTX.gov
Mike Wilson
mwilson@hcde-texas.org
Harris County Department of Education
https://hcde-texas.org
CASE for Kids
hcde-texas.org/afterschool-zone

Thursday Aug 11, 2022
Preview Episode 98: The importance of Young Adults Working with Youth Initiatives
Thursday Aug 11, 2022
Thursday Aug 11, 2022
Attracting young adults to work with programs supporting youth is important yet can sometimes be difficult to achieve. However, when agencies can identify and engages young adults to play a role in the coordination of youth services then the benefits can be positive, and the programs become more appealing to school aged students. Therefore, this preview episode 98 of Making After School Cool Podcast focuses on the importance of young adults, working with youth initiatives. To speak on this topic is Ms. Fernanda Marrero who is the Program Manager for the City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Education

Monday Jul 25, 2022
Ep 97: Creating a Culture of Leadership
Monday Jul 25, 2022
Monday Jul 25, 2022
There are certain characteristics which are often assigned to leaders; however, the most common trait is their ability to move others towards the direction of accomplishing a task. Episode 97 of the Making After School Cool Podcast focuses on creating a culture of leadership. During this installment, I will be discussing, with my guest Pete Hall, elements concerning leaders and leadership qualities
During this episode you will learn more about:
- Are some people born with natural leadership skills?
- What are the differences between the skills needed for educational leadership compared to the type of leadership skills need in other fields
- What are the differences between developing leadership skills in kids versus building leadership abilities for adults?
- How important is it for people in leadership positions to be honest regarding their emotional state as well as delegate things to others
Guest
Mr. Pete Hall served 12 years as a principal in three Title I schools. Under his leadership, each of the schools earned awards for academic performance, growth, and student achievement.
His written works include authoring over twenty articles on leadership and publishing eleven books. Pete has worked as a personal consultant, mentor, and motivational coach. He is currently working on his 12th book, Always Strive to Be a Better You: How ordinary people can live extraordinary lives.
Resources
Pete Hall
petehall@edcationhall.com
chasingtheshow.com
Mike Wilson
mwilson@hcde-texas.org
Harris County Department of Education
https://hcde-texas.org
CASE for Kids

Saturday Jul 23, 2022
Preview Ep 97: Creating a Culture of Leadership
Saturday Jul 23, 2022
Saturday Jul 23, 2022
There are certain characteristics which are often assigned to leaders; however, the most common trait is their ability to move others towards the direction of accomplishing a task. Therefor this preview of Episode 97 of the Making After School Cool Podcast focuses on creating a culture of leadership. During this installment, I will be discussing, with my guest Pete Hall, elements concerning leaders and leadership qualities

Friday Jul 22, 2022
EP 96: Teaching with an Understanding of the Adolescent Brain
Friday Jul 22, 2022
Friday Jul 22, 2022
Teenagers can be a particularly challenging age group to work with and educate. Studies have shown that this age group thrives best in a nurturing environment. By keeping pre-teens and teenagers’ brain active will strengthen the neural pathways that are vital for long-term learning. To discuss the topic of teaching the adolescent brain is my guest Dr. Lori Desautels
During this episode you will learn more about the following:
- How educators can use clips from the movie “Turning Red” to explore ways the adolescence brain changes youth behavior
- Why anyone working with kids should be aware that adolescent is the second-greatest time of brain development
- How it’s extremely important that educators, working with youth, be in touch with their own emotions.
- How art play a role in helping youth express their feelings and emotions?
Guest
Dr. Lori Desautels is an assistant Professor at Butler University where she teaches both undergraduate and graduate programs in the College of Education. She was also an Assistant Professor at Marian University in Indianapolis where she founded the Educational Neuroscience Symposium. Currently, the Symposium is in its eighth year, and now sponsored by Butler University College of Education.
Lori was also a behavioral consultant for Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis on the adolescent psychiatric unit where she learned that emotional and mental illness can be so challenging for youth, but the brain can repair and heal, and resilience rests at the core of human nature and our well-being.
She resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, with her husband, Michael and has three grown children, Andrew, Sarah, and Regan, and four rescue fur babies.
Resources
Dr. Lori Desautels
revelationsineducation.com
Mike Wilson
mwilson@hcde-texas.org
Harris County Department of Education
https://hcde-texas.org

Wednesday Jul 20, 2022
Preview EP 96:Teaching with an Understanding of Adolescent brain
Wednesday Jul 20, 2022
Wednesday Jul 20, 2022
Today is a preview of episode 95 of the Making After School Cool podcast where we discuss the topic of teaching with an understanding of adolescent brain. My guest today is Dr. Lori Desautels who is an assistant professor at Butler University where she teaches both undergraduate and graduate programs in the College of Education. Because of her work, she has been able to attract the foremost experts in the fields of educational neuroscience, trauma, and adversity.

Monday Jul 11, 2022
Monday Jul 11, 2022
Today’s episode of the Making After-School Cool Podcast focuses on current issues appearing in education. As Educational practices continue to evolve, there remains the question of “are the methods we now use to educate our youth keeping pace with the educational evolution?” Research has shown that when students actively participate in lessons, they are more engaged and their academic performance increase. To discuss a few of these issues is my guest, Miriam Plotinsky.
During this podcast you will learn the following:
- How much should outside influences alter what is being taught in schools?
- What are some lessons educators learned during remote teaching that could help them today?
- What are some insight school administrators gain when they also teach a class?
- What are some advantages for teachers as well as students when the simple term “What do you think” is used to discuss lessons?
- A brief description of the book, “Teach More, Hover Less: How to Stop Micromanaging Your Secondary Classroom”
Guest
Miriam Plotinsky is an author and instructional specialist who addresses challenges in both teaching and leading schools with differentiated needs. A strong advocate for student-centered learning, Miriam is widely published in Education Week, Edutopia, ASCD Express, The Teaching Channel, EdSurge, K-12 Talk and Education World. She is also a National Board-Certified Teacher with additional certification in administration and supervision. Her first book, Teach More, Hover Less: How to Stop Micromanaging Your Secondary Classroom (W.W. Norton & Company, 2022), is a practical guide to a student-centered instructional approach that removes the necessity of teacher micromanagement.
Resources
Miriam Plotinsky
Miriamplotinsky.com
Teach More, Hover Less
How to Stop Micromanaging Your Secondary Classroom
https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324019879
Mike Wilson
mwilson@hcde-texas.org
Harris County Department of Education
https://hcde-texas.org
CASE for Kids
https://hcde-texas.org/afterschool-zone

Thursday Jul 07, 2022
Preview EP95: Discussing Current Issues Appearing in Education with Miriam Plotinsky
Thursday Jul 07, 2022
Thursday Jul 07, 2022
Today we are previewing episode 95 of the Making After-School Cool Podcast which focuses on current issues appearing in education. As Educational practices continuously evolve, there remains the question of “are the methods we now use to educate our youth keeping pace with the educational evolution?” Research has shown that when students actively participate in lessons, they are more engaged and their academic performance increase.
To discuss a few of these topics is my guest, Miriam Plotinsky. Miriam is an author and instructional specialist who addresses challenges in both teaching and leading across schools with a wide range of needs. She is widely published in educational journals and her first book, Teach More, Hover Less: How to Stop Micromanaging Your Secondary Classroom , is a practical guide to a student-centered instructional approach that removes the necessity of teacher micromanagement.

Tuesday Jul 05, 2022
Ep 94: Honoring the Houston Area Urban League with guest John Robinson
Tuesday Jul 05, 2022
Tuesday Jul 05, 2022
In honor of the historic work they do, today’s episode of the Making After School Cool podcast highlights the Houston Area Urban League. As they celebrate 54 years of existence, the Houston Area Urban League advocates for and provides social services to disadvantaged people of all races, gender, age groups, and/or disabilities.
During this podcast you will learn:
- The types of services provided by the Houston Area Urban League
- The Houston Area Urban league summer initiatives designed for youth
- Challenges and rewarding moments faced by Houston Area Urban League
- Information regarding any workshops and trainings
Guest
John Robinson, is a career educator, spokesperson, and trainer for Scholastics and currently the Director of Education and Youth Development Family Support Service for the Houston Area Urban League
Resources
John Robinson
Houston Area Urban League
Mike Wilson
mwilson@hcde-texas.org
Harris County Department of Education
https://hcde-texas.org
CASE for Kids
https://hcde-texas.org/afterschool-zone

Monday Jun 27, 2022
Monday Jun 27, 2022
This preview of episode 94 of the Making After School Cool podcast honor of the historic work of the Houston Area Urban League. As they celebrate 54 years of existence, the Houston Area Urban League advocates for and provides social services to disadvantaged people of all races, gender, age groups, and/or disabilities. To speak on services being provided by the Houston Area Urban League is today’s guest is John Robinson, Director of Education and Youth Development Family support service