May 19, 2026 • 34 mins
Liz hears from Jack, a local youth activist (spoiler alert: he's in elementary school!), about changes he wants to see in this world (and his cafeteria) and how you can help. He also has some advice for other kids who might see a problem they want to fix...
Liz then talks with his mom, Katie, who recently testified at the New Hampshire State House for the first time. She also shares some #BoyMom advice to Liz.
Want to send Jack a message? newhampshirehasissues@gmail.com
Links:
- Check out Jack's fun fact videos on Katie's Instagram!
- Donate to Jack's fundraiser (@KatieHAdams on Venmo)!
- National Marine Mammal Foundation
- Public Gives Feedback on Bill to Limit School Curriculum (InDepth NH)
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Liz Canada (00:00):
The first question that I asked Jack when we talked
was what was his favoritemusical?
And so I feel like I need toask you the same thing.
What is your favorite musical,Katie?
Katie Adams (00:08):
My favorite score is probably Light in the Piazza.
Oh, okay.
Because I just think neverlisten to it.
Exquisitely b well okay, stop.
Liz Canada (00:17):
Never.
Katie Adams (00:18):
Here, stop hit stop.
Cut.
Cut.
Stop what we're doing.
Listen to the entire score ofLight in the Piazza, then we'll
come back and finish.
Um, it is exquisitelybeautiful, just lush and
gorgeous.
Liz Canada (00:29):
All right, I will listen to Light in the Piazza.
Sometimes guests come on andthey're like, Liz, you should go
read these state statutes.
No, but I will listen to thecast recording of Light in the
Piazza, I promise you.
Katie Adams (00:41):
I think if one of us is gonna make the other one
read a state statute, it's gonnabe you making me.
Liz Canada (00:59):
You're listening to New Hampshire has Issues, and I
am your host, Liz Canada,bringing you an episode that is
maybe a little bit out of theordinary.
A year ago, I was talking withKatie, who you just heard, about
how her son was raising moneyfor endangered animals.
And I said, if I'm still doingmy podcast in a year, I would
(01:20):
love to have Jack on, uh, if heis still fundraising.
And he he is, and he's my mainguest today.
This episode is perfect forthose of you who have kiddos who
might listen while you listento this podcast.
It's perfect if you don't havekids.
Jack is incredible.
And it's great if you aresomeone who just cares about
(01:41):
something in New Hampshire andyou're like, ugh, can I do
anything?
Is there anything possible Ican do?
It's kind of impossible tolisten to Jack and not have some
hope and optimism about change.
And the same goes for Katie.
The second half of the episode,I talk with her about things
that she's doing, both as aparent of Jack and also on her
own.
(02:02):
Uh, this was the first yearthat she went to the New
Hampshire State House and spokeat a public hearing, and so we
talk about that experience thatshe had.
So this is when I tell you thatif you would like to support
the show, you can become amonthly subscriber at
patreon.com slash nh hasissues.
But more important today is ifyou would like to support Jack's
fundraiser, go to the episodedescription and there is a link
(02:23):
in there that will give you theinformation that you need.
If you would like to send Jacka note, some words of
encouragement, you can send thatmessage to me, Newhampshire has
Issues at gmail.com, and I willmake sure that Jack gets your
message.
Thank you for listening.
All right, Jack, welcome to NewHampshire Has Issues.
(02:44):
I know that you are a youthadvocate, but how young are we
talking?
What grade are you in?
Jack (02:51):
Um, I'm in third grade.
Liz Canada (02:53):
Oh my god, you're in third grade.
My full-time job, my regularday job, I have a role and it's
called an advocacy director.
And my job is to help people toadvocate for things that they
care about.
I'm always curious whatinspires people to want to make
a change and to advocate.
And I know that for the pastfew years, you've been
(03:14):
advocating for, I believe,endangered animals.
Does that sound right?
Does that sound like you?
Jack (03:20):
Yes.
That is exactly what's beenhappening.
Liz Canada (03:22):
That's exactly okay.
So tell me what it is that youdo.
Talk to me about what youradvocacy looks like.
Jack (03:28):
Well, it's always uh one week in this month, the month of
May, where my mom will takevideos of me like sharing facts
about uh the animal, and thenthey will be posted on
Instagram.
And then on the Saturday of theweek, we will have a bake sale
(03:49):
as pretty much like the finalraising of money.
Um, and sometimes we'll liketake them out to Swayze Parkway
and like like walk around andsee if we can find anyone there
who wants to who wants to buy.
Liz Canada (04:02):
In these Instagram videos that you're making,
you're giving information aboutthe animal that you're raising
money for, is that right?
Yes.
What are the types of thingsthat you cover in these videos?
Like what's the kind of factsand information that you're
sharing?
Jack (04:16):
Uh, it feels like the most interesting facts that people
would most likely not know,which would make people want to
dig deeper and learn more aboutthis animal.
And it's easier to do that ifthey exist.
So m it m might get them towant to raise money for them so
(04:37):
that th they can be helped.
Liz Canada (04:39):
Can you share with me the animals you've raised
money for in the past?
Jack (04:44):
Well, this is the third year we're doing it.
Liz Canada (04:46):
So wait, you started this in when you were in first
grade?
Jack (04:48):
Uh yes.
Liz Canada (04:49):
Oh my goodness.
Okay.
All right.
Love this.
Jack (04:51):
The first year was for big cats.
Oh yes, I remember this.
Yes, yes, yes.
It was it was very fun.
It felt like I did not know Icould do this, but now I do.
So um maybe we could carry onwith this next year.
And that's what happened.
Um, the second year I raced forpenguins.
(05:12):
And this third year, um, I amfundraising for dolphins.
Liz Canada (05:17):
When you started this with big cats, what
inspired why why did you startdoing it?
Like, what made you say, like,okay, big cats love them,
respect them, care for them.
I need to raise money for them.
Like, where did this even comefrom?
Jack (05:31):
When I was in preschool, um, I had a passion for all
animals in general.
My favorite was always giraffesum in particular.
And I was like reading booksabout these animals.
Um, I even made a presentationto my preschool class about
(05:53):
giraffes.
Liz Canada (05:54):
Just on your own.
You were like, I'm doing this.
Jack (05:56):
Uh yeah.
And that made me want to uhsave animals in need.
Um and I was also getting intoliking big cats, so I decided
big cats are endangered.
They're so cool.
Liz Canada (06:15):
So cool.
Jack (06:15):
So this is the first one we should do.
And then it kind of justcarried itself through from
there.
I learned about Martin LutherKing Jr.
and his famous speech, TheI Have a Dream speech.
Mm-hmm.
And my teacher asked, if youwere to uh recreate that speech
and write it about somethingsomething different, what would
(06:38):
you write it about?
And I said I would write itabout helping animals.
And then when I got home fromschool that day, while we were
eating dinner, I s I I told thewhole story, basically.
And uh that was when the idealike kind of flowed between our
heads that we should do animalfundraisers yearly.
So so that's where where theidea came from.
Liz Canada (07:02):
So you got an assignment in school.
You have this conversation atschool about Martin Luther King,
and you come home and you talkabout it with your family.
So through that conversationthat was started from your
school, it has led you to thisday still fundraising, still
inspired by that assignment.
Your school did that for you?
Jack (07:20):
Uh yes, that is what happened.
It was a school assignment thatwas not meant to be carried on
in the way it did.
Liz Canada (07:28):
Or maybe, maybe like the teacher secretly hoped that
it would stay with you, but itreally has.
So it lasts a week.
You do this for one full week.
It ends with a bake sale, andthis year, it sounds like you're
focusing on dolphins.
Now, I did get a little sneakpeek that that was the animal
that you were going to becovering.
However, I have done zerostudying.
(07:48):
Okay, I know, I know.
Usually for a guest, I do alittle bit of research, I
promise.
But I wanted to be truly cominginto this as a fresh
conversation.
So, can you give us a littlebit of a preview of the types of
things one might learn aboutdolphins during your fundraising
week?
Jack (08:05):
Well, something, uh, this is probably a more commonly
known fact out of all thepossible facts about dolphins.
Um, dolphins are actually typesof whales.
So when you think of a humpbackwhale, a dolphin is just a type
of whale.
And even though you mightthink, how can that be?
They look totally different.
Liz Canada (08:25):
They do.
Jack (08:26):
They are both marine mammals and they do carry other
similarities that make them inclassified in the same family.
I really did not know that.
Liz Canada (08:36):
Great, I'm learning a lot already.
Keep going.
Jack (08:38):
Another thing about them is that sometimes the the lead
dolphin of a pod, and I I foundthis out um during my earlier
research to be prepared, um,that the lead dolphin will
sometimes rake their teeth onsome of the rest of the pod to
indicate that they're the leadand dominant dolphin, that they
(09:03):
will lead the pod in in alllife.
Liz Canada (09:06):
How much research do you do before you go into your
fundraising week?
Do you call it fundraising?
Do you call it an awarenesscampaign?
What like do you have a anofficial title for what your
week is?
Jack (09:18):
Um, it's kind of unofficial, so it's not like
fully official, but we do callit fundraising.
And we do a lot of researchingfor this so that uh we can be
prepared and pick pick thingsout that we do want to include
when sharing facts about theanimal and things that we don't
(09:39):
want to include when sharingfacts about the end.
Liz Canada (09:41):
Mm-hmm.
So you have to make decisionsof like, I want to tell the
audience these really importantfacts that I think they're gonna
like, but these other onesmight not be the best for the
videos that I'm making.
Jack (09:53):
Yeah.
And it's like you can learnfacts anytime you want to.
Just uh if you can like go tothe library or something and
like pick out a fact book aboutreally anything, uh, and you can
like find out stuff uh that youmight not have known already.
And it it's really cool.
(10:14):
Uh and that's why it's not asuper big matter that I say
every single possible fact.
Liz Canada (10:21):
Right.
Yeah.
You're sort of like gettingpeople interested that if they
then want to learn even more,they have like that sort of base
knowledge to build off of.
Jack (10:30):
Yeah, yeah.
That's that's pretty true.
And that that sounds right,yeah.
Liz Canada (10:36):
All right.
I'm gonna I'm gonna ask aquestion that maybe a listener
might be wondering, Jack.
Where does the money go?
If you're raising money, wheredoes the money get sent to?
Jack (10:46):
During our fact preparation, uh, my mom will
look into charities that supportthe animal, whether it's the
animal specifically or it's uhthe animal and its family.
And once she finds a charitythat uh she knows will work, we
uh always release a video aboutthis is the charity it's being
(11:09):
donated to.
Right.
So yeah, that's where the moneygoes.
It goes to a charity that willuh help and protect the animal.
This year's charity is theNational Marine Mammal
Foundation.
And I remember like looking ontheir website and they had
around 10 to 15 marine mammalsthat were like listed.
(11:31):
Uh these are the ones that wedefinitely want to protect,
including the Amazon RiverDolphin and the Atlantic
Humphack Dolphin.
Liz Canada (11:40):
Okay, I didn't even know that there were multiple
types of dolphins, if I'm gonnabe honest.
This is all new information.
Do you have a fundraising goal?
Sometimes when people dofundraisers, they say, I want to
raise this amount of money.
Or are you just thinking, Iwant to just raise what I can
raise?
Or something else, a secretthird thing, maybe.
Jack (11:57):
Uh yeah.
It was something that is uhactually not what you mentioned.
I was feeling like personalgoals.
And it's like I think thesecond year we did not beat the
personal goal of big cats, butwe still raised a lot of money.
So what I want to do is justit's just beat the personal
best.
Liz Canada (12:13):
Do you want to share what your personal best is?
You don't have to.
You can keep it secret.
Jack (12:17):
I don't know what the personal best is off the top of
my head.
Liz Canada (12:20):
Uh it's we might be getting some notes from the side
of the room.
Hard to say.
Jack (12:23):
It is somewhere around $2,000.
Liz Canada (12:27):
Wow.
Okay, that's a really goodpersonal best, Jack.
That's you're in third grade,you've already raised literally
thousands of dollars for animalsin past years, and so you're
hoping to beat that this year.
Jack (12:39):
Yes, I am very much hoping to beat that this year.
And it's just th there's justso many fun things to helping
animals in in these ways becauseit's like you feel so good
about yourself, and it's like, Ican do that.
I I know that I can do that.
I want to keep doing this.
I feel like uh the longer I'mdoing this, the more confident
(13:01):
I'll feel about doing thisbecause I know I will learn some
like the secrets to like justbeing in public in general and
like speaking in public, andI've had a lot of experience
with that now.
Liz Canada (13:13):
So Yeah, to feel that confidence of you know,
you're researching, you'relearning, you're educating
others, and like that does thatbuilds confidence and it's like
it's it's this experience ofcaring about something and
wanting to do something aboutit.
Like that's really incredible.
Jack (13:27):
Yeah, yeah.
I feel so good about doing thatas well.
That's awesome.
Liz Canada (13:31):
So, Jack, you also serve on your elementary school
student council.
What led you to run for studentcounsel?
Did you go into elementaryschool being like, you know
what, I'm gonna be a politician.
I am running for studentcounsel now.
I'm always trying to get peopleto run for office.
Here you are, you're an electedofficial.
Jack (13:47):
Well, my older brother Luke, he also wanted to run for
student council and he ended upbeing one of the what we call
officers.
Um he was the treasurer, so helike organizes the money that is
that is used at the schoolstore.
Um and so I wanted to do ittoo, and I knew it would be hard
because I haven't I didn't havethat much experience with
(14:10):
writing speeches before becausethat's what we need to do, and
then we vote on whose speech wasum the best.
But I did it and I I gotthrough it and I'm glad I'm in
the student council.
Liz Canada (14:23):
Do you remember what you campaigned on?
What was part of your speechthat you gave?
Jack (14:27):
The community fridge, um near the Yeah, the YMCA.
Yeah, near the Y.
Um I remember talking aboutmaybe we should have a drive of
food to go to the communityfridge.
Um, I remember uh talking aboutthat.
Liz Canada (14:43):
That's awesome.
Now I have learned veryrecently that you started a
petition at your school.
You want to tell me a littlebit about this petition that you
started?
Jack (14:54):
Uh yes.
So I was in the cafeteria.
They served French toast.
It was it was great.
Liz Canada (15:01):
Shout out to the French toast in the cafeteria.
Yes.
Love that, yep.
Jack (15:04):
Except it was hard to cut because we do not have plastic
knives at our school.
Um, it's like I've done it withtwo plastic forks, so it would
be much more convenient to do itwith plastic knives, especially
because w we need these forksfor other things other than the
French toast.
Uh so luckily I had some paperand I wrote a petition about we
(15:27):
should have knives.
And I brought it into thestudent council, um, and they
told me to speak with the theprincipal about it.
So I will be doing that nextweek.
Liz Canada (15:37):
Oh my goodness, so you're like mid-journey in this
petition.
You got other students to signon?
Jack (15:44):
Uh yes, we got about uh around 30 to 40 students, and
it's like out of a whole school,that's not that much, but
there's only so many people wecould ask access.
Liz Canada (15:56):
So Jack, that's a lot of that's a lot of students
that you got sign-ons for.
Let me let me just be reallyclear that when we have
citizens' petitions in townwhere you can literally get
something on the ballot that youcare about if you get enough
signatures.
It's somewhere around thatnumber, I'm pretty sure, maybe
even fewer.
So, like, you did as much workas folks do to change something
(16:19):
in Exeter in general.
You did it right there in yourown elementary school.
So I hope you will keep meposted on what happens if you
get the knives for the Frenchtoast.
Will you follow up with me?
Jack (16:27):
Yes, uh, I definitely will the moment that I can.
Yes.
Liz Canada (16:31):
Thank you.
All right, so a lot of peoplewho listen to my little podcast,
they have kids in their lives,whether their parents themselves
or their aunties or whomeverthey are, and sometimes they
listen in the car with theirkiddos with them.
What is your advice to thosekids who might be listening in
the backseat or in their house?
What's your advice to them onmaking change and advocating
(16:55):
like what would be yourrecommendation if they care
about something, but they'venever done any of the things
that you just have talked about?
Jack (17:00):
The first step to doing that is finding your passion and
looking through it and thinkingabout it.
Is there a problem with this?
And if there is, what's theproblem and how can it be
solved?
Once you have the solution, allyou have to do is take action
and do it.
And some people might not feellike, well, I'm just a kid.
(17:23):
I I don't have the power to dothat.
You do have the power to dothat.
You can change something in theworld no matter how small.
Liz Canada (17:33):
Jack, thank you so much for being on New Hampshire
Has Issues.
And I am gonna look forward tothe videos that will be posted
so I can learn more and so thatI can also donate to your
fundraising week.
That would be great.
So, Katie, Jack is incredible,by the way.
Not sure if you're aware thatyour child is incredible.
You made him yourself.
(17:54):
All right, so you're a boy mom.
I'm uh boy list, which can betaken out of context somehow.
What are your boy mom'ssecrets?
Like, tell me what it's likeraising you have three boys.
Give me three boys.
Secrets and hot tips on raisingyoung guys.
Katie Adams (18:10):
Well, I would say the biggest surprise has been
how naturally sweet they are.
Like they boys come out sweetand like they love their moms
and they're very loving.
So I think really like alwaysbeing that tender place for them
(18:30):
where they can always bringthat sweetness.
Because as they grow up, theworld encourages them to harden
a little bit and being the likealways that kind of soft
presence at home, making it safefor them to feel like they can
be that um sweeter, more tenderside at home, I think is like
one of my one of the things I'velearned um about being a boy
(18:54):
mom.
And also, I mean, my three areall very different, but they all
went through my my youngestone, Theo, is four and is in it
right now, like an incrediblypassionate phase of devotion to
the Pixar Cars franchise.
So the second thing I'velearned is absolutely everything
(19:15):
about Lightning McQueen and allof the Cars movies and Radiator
Springs and the Cars uhcinematic universe.
These are now deeply special tome.
I will be buried with all ofthe little figurines.
So that is uh if you have boys,I suggest, you know, be a soft
place for them to land and knoweverything about Lightning
(19:36):
McQueen.
Liz Canada (19:36):
Two easy things to do, I think, yeah.
As a as a parent.
Perfect.
When I talked to Jack, youknow, he he was very clear that
he has your help in thisprocess, right?
He's like, mom helps withfinding the right place to, you
know, donate to.
What's been your experience asmom in this process of
supporting him in this journeyof raising money and, you know,
(20:00):
talking to the general public,putting his putting himself out
there and and sharinginformation.
What has it been like for youas mom?
Katie Adams (20:07):
Jack is my middle son, and he is the most, he is
the most himself of the three, Iwould say.
He is has always been uniqueand really steadfast in the ways
in which he marches to his owndrummer.
And I think he mentioned in theinterview that his first
(20:27):
passion for animals was aboutgiraffes.
And I mean, he just gently butforcefully dragged the whole
family and his entire preschoolclass into a giraffe era.
Like everyone in that preschoolclass learned that these things
are called osicones andeverything else about giraffes.
Liz Canada (20:46):
Wow.
Katie Adams (20:47):
It was just impossible to resist him.
He has like, he's like got uslike a steady drip where it just
like it is gentle, but it will,it is relentless, which is a
wonderful quality in anactivist.
Absolutely.
We have learned.
So when this idea kind ofgerminated about doing a
fundraiser, I wanted to empowerhim about using his voice and
(21:10):
following his passion.
He's very passionate.
Well, I also thought this wasan opportunity to both give him
the spotlight, which issomething I look for for my
middle son, and also teach himsome things like if we're trying
to get people to understandwhat we're saying in a video,
what are some strategies to dothat?
(21:31):
And when we're going to givemoney to a charity, how do we
think about what are some waysthat we find a good one?
You know, it feels like thereare a lot of opportunities built
into this to learn together andto teach him.
And my main hope was that hewould feel empowered and proud.
And I think he does.
Liz Canada (21:53):
Oh, I think that comes across very clearly that
he's like super proud of whathe's working on.
Katie Adams (21:58):
But have there been bumps along the way of
Liz Canada (22:00):
Of doing this type of fundraiser.
Katie Adams (22:02):
Yeah.
Well, like sometimes what whatwe mainly do is make videos
sharing facts about the animal.
And post I post them onInstagram with his permission.
So sometimes, you know, hecomes up with a fact where I'm
like, this is interesting, butit's not really making our case
for this animal.
So like how can we, how can wethink about choosing the facts?
(22:25):
I think the biggest bump isjust, you know, I cannot control
how much people donate.
So we put out a video, andmaybe the first day we get a
couple hundred dollars sent tomy, we just do it, they send it
to my Venmo.
And he's so excited.
But then maybe the second daywe don't really get much.
And he I and he asks and he'scurious about where we are with
(22:48):
all of that.
And I share it, and I want toshare it with him in a way that
doesn't make him feel like it'sa referendum on that specific
video or him that day.
Right.
But there is a sense in whichyou open yourself up to being
disappointed when you putyourself out there like that.
So I would say that's thetrickiest part.
Liz Canada (23:06):
And what about the rest of the family?
You know, he's got an olderbrother, he's got a younger
brother, he's got a dad.
How does everybody else getinvolved or not?
Katie Adams (23:14):
It's a different dynamic every year because every
year the dynamics between theboys are different.
So generally there is somecompetitiveness about it in the
beginning or while we're in likethe prep phase.
But I would say once we'rereally in the week where we're
sharing the videos and makingthe videos and preparing for the
bake sale, everyone kind ofgets excited.
(23:36):
I mean, Jack is you just cannotresist him.
Liz Canada (23:39):
Yeah.
Katie Adams (23:40):
And so, like, even his older brother, who's now 12,
who occasionally has moments ofrolling his eyes, you know, if
he sees a cool dolphin thing outin the world, he's like, Hey
Jack, check out this dolphinthing.
Like it affects everyone.
And like, yeah, and his dadespecially helps him with the
baking for the bake sale.
(24:00):
So the whole family ends upbeing just seduced to the cause.
I mean, that's Jack's that'shis magic touch.
Liz Canada (24:07):
Yeah, it was great chatting with him and hearing
from him and hearing the storyabout student counsel and going
there and you know, bringing hispetition and that he's gonna
meet with the principal.
Has he met with the principalyet?
He said he was gonna do thatthis week.
Katie Adams (24:19):
He reached out to the principal today and did not
hear back.
So little does that principalknow that there's gonna be a lot
of eyes on him now.
Liz Canada (24:26):
Well, now it's on the podcast.
We are all paying attention.
That's right now for sure.
So, Katie, I I do want to talkabout your own advocacy because
I I know you as a human.
This is the first time you'vegone to a public hearing in New
Hampshire at least, and giventestimony.
And I thought that's veryinteresting that, you know, I'm
gonna have Jack on the podcastto talk about his advocacy and
(24:48):
also like you have some newadvocacy experiences as well.
And I'm hoping you just talkabout that.
Like, why did you do that?
A lot of the folks who listento this podcast obviously care
about at least one issue.
So, what was that experiencelike for you to go to the state
house and provide testimony to acommittee?
Katie Adams (25:07):
Well, I am involved in some local action groups.
Um, and one of the groups I'min, we set a goal that we would
try to do this this year in2026.
We would try to testify at thestate house.
And there are no shortage ofbills that come before our state
(25:27):
representatives that I feelstrongly about.
And this one in particular waswritten in such a way that it
was claiming that our childrenare being indoctrinated in our
public schools, and we have tostop that.
Two of my children are inpublic school right now.
My third will join publicschool next year.
They are not beingindoctrinated.
(25:49):
Um, and so I felt strongly thatI could speak to this topic.
I have friends who could giveme a lot of insight about how
the process worked, which Ithought was really helpful.
And I thought, you know, once Ido this, I'll be able to
demystify it for some of myfriends and some people that I
(26:12):
know who care about it.
The experience was interesting.
I was, I mean, it isintimidating when you've never
done it because the wholeprocess, it follows these rules,
which are kind of they seemarbitrary from the outside, and
you don't really know walkinginto it, like what you're
supposed to do, where you'resupposed to sit, and when do you
(26:32):
speak?
And so getting used to that,the formality and the kind of
culture was, I would say, thepart that sort of made me the
most nervous.
And the first time I went totestify, they had so many people
there to talk that I couldn't.
They were like, we have to stopthe hearing and recess, so
we'll pick it up again nextweek.
To drive an hour to Concord thefollowing week is really asking
(26:56):
a lot.
And I was angry.
I was angry that I had takentime, you know, to do this.
And I was mad because I waslike, I'm trying to do this
thing, and now it's becomeinconvenient for me.
But I am more stubborn thananything else.
So I came back the next weekand I was able to testify.
And what I really ended upfeeling was I have a lot of
(27:22):
respect for this process, butthese people work for me.
Liz Canada (27:27):
So true.
Katie Adams (27:29):
They're not doing me a favor by listening to my
two-minute, you know, statementabout this bill.
That's what they're supposed todo.
And I can show up with all therespect and deference to the
offices they hold and theprocess while still feeling
extremely entitled to be thereand speak my mind.
That is their whole job tolisten to their constituents.
Liz Canada (27:53):
Absolutely.
You know, I had an episode veryearly on with leader Alexa
Simpson, and we talked about theprocess of, you know, the
legislative process.
And every bill gets a hearingin New Hampshire.
And those hearings are folksfrom the public coming to
Concord.
You have to go in person.
And so what happened in thathearing, Katie, is kind of
(28:13):
unusual, where they say,actually, we have to stop and
we're going to come back a wholedifferent day.
Like that is that doesn'thappen very often and is
extremely inconvenient forpeople who have traveled who
knows how far and have like madetheir day about being there.
And I'm sure there were quite afew people who were there the
first day but couldn't go backthe second day.
(28:35):
And that just means that theirtestimony is not heard.
Katie Adams (28:38):
Yeah.
I work for myself, so I'm ableto make my own schedule.
And that, and even just theprocess of going on a weekday in
the morning when the vastmajority of people are at a nine
to five job, it's not set up tobe convenient, but it is
doable.
And it turns out that'sactually not that scary.
(29:00):
And something I noticed that Ididn't expect was a lot of the
people there were clearlyexperts who all the committee
members knew already and alreadyknew what they were going to
say about the bills.
Liz Canada (29:14):
Oh, interesting.
Katie Adams (29:16):
And I thought I was not the only one who was not an
expert, but I kind of thoughtit actually makes it more
important to go if you're not anexpert.
Because I think a lot ofpeople, myself included, have
felt like, do I really knowenough about this?
Do I know everything about thissubject in to go and testify?
Like, shouldn't I really be,shouldn't this be my life's work
(29:38):
before I make my two-minutestatement?
And I would argue that manypeople are not experts who are
in even writing thislegislation.
So don't let that stop you.
But also hearing from theregular people who are going to
be affected by this legislationis really powerful and
important.
And it's actually evensometimes more important for
(30:00):
just parents or citizens to bethere alongside people giving
expert testimony.
Liz Canada (30:06):
That's such a great point.
There are folks who are at thestatehouse pretty often.
They're with organizations.
And so the lawmakers know themreally well.
I'm one of those people.
When I walk into many of thecommittees that I'm in, they
they know who I am.
When they call my name, theyknow that that's me, right?
Like some there somewhatfrequently.
But folks who aren't there,there's a different reverence to
(30:27):
their testimony because theyare real life granite staters.
Like they have taken the timeout of their entire day to make
that commute to be there andoffer their perspective.
And it's not about being anexpert.
It's about I care about whathappens to this.
I want it to become law or I donot want it to become law.
(30:48):
And here is why.
And that's available foranybody in the public to be able
to do.
So I'm so glad that you thatyou did that.
That's a that's a huge deal.
Congratulations.
Katie Adams (30:58):
It was I was really glad I did it too.
And my deepest hope would bethat someone that I have a
social relationship in ourcommunity who is not a political
activist would maybe think,well, I mean, if she can do it,
like I could do it.
You know, one of the baseballmoms or someone I know from the
kids' theater group or whateverit is.
Because that's when the processworks best, is when everyone
(31:22):
feels like, this is my problem,actually.
Liz Canada (31:24):
That's exactly right.
Katie Adams (31:25):
All right.
Liz Canada (31:25):
So I asked Jack what his advice is to other kids.
If they care about an issue,what should they do?
What's your advice to the otherparents, aunties, grandparents
who care about things?
What's your advice to them?
Katie Adams (31:40):
If it if we're talking about pe adults uh
trying to get a toe intoactivism, my advice is even
though it is scary to realizethat there is no savior coming
to right every wrong that youmay see in this country or
world, it is also all thepermission you need to be the
(32:01):
one and to decide that you aregoing to save yourself and your
community in whatever way youcare about.
And so just pick pick a thinglike Jack and devote yourself to
it.
In terms of being a parent orcaregiver, I try to lower the
(32:22):
barrier of entry for my kids.
So um I have brought them to acouple of really local um
protests or community eventswhere I knew pretty well who was
gonna be there, what the vibewas gonna be.
I felt really comfortablebringing them.
And they're right in theirtown, they're seeing familiar
(32:42):
faces.
I think that's good for kids.
But I also try to just behonest about boy, I'm feeling
frustrated about this thing andI can't really fix it.
Let's bring some food over tothe community fridge or let's
give $5 to an organization thatwe care about.
And we won't have solvedeverything, but we'll have done
(33:04):
one thing.
And just being transparentabout those small actions, I
think kids then feel like, okay,this is a doable thing.
I think that one of thedifficult things about being a
parent in this moment ismanaging the bad feelings, fear
or anxiety or anger.
And I had to learn thatpretending I don't have them or
(33:27):
I'm not concerned about politicsdidn't really work.
And it was better to just findan age-appropriate way to share
it and then find anage-appropriate way to remedy it
and doing that one small thing,focusing on one thing in your
community.
I started out talking aboutthat with the kids as a way to
help them, but really it hashelped me the most.
Liz Canada (33:47):
Taking a little bit of control in this very chaotic
world that we are in in thisexact moment, and navigating it
with your kids along the way,making sure that they get
through it too.
Yeah.
A plus work.
Mommy.
I'm done.
I think they're all perfect.
They're perfect.
Jack (34:04):
Nail that done and done.
I love Hamilton and music.
Those two always like breakeach other up in my mind.
And I also remember being umInto the Woods.
Liz Canada (34:17):
Into the Woods is my favorite musical.
Did you already know this?
Jack (34:20):
Uh no, I did not know that.
Liz Canada (34:22):
Who did you play in Into the Woods?
Jack (34:23):
I played as Reconto Springs.
Liz Canada (34:26):
So you had the very funny song.
Hagani.
Jack, do you think we shouldstart a podcast about musicals?
I think yes.
Yes.
Okay, perfect.
The answer is yes.
The first question that I asked Jack when we talked
was what was his favoritemusical?
And so I feel like I need toask you the same thing.
What is your favorite musical,Katie?
Katie Adams (00:08):
My favorite score is probably Light in the Piazza.
Oh, okay.
Because I just think neverlisten to it.
Exquisitely b well okay, stop.
Liz Canada (00:17):
Never.
Katie Adams (00:18):
Here, stop hit stop.
Cut.
Cut.
Stop what we're doing.
Listen to the entire score ofLight in the Piazza, then we'll
come back and finish.
Um, it is exquisitelybeautiful, just lush and
gorgeous.
Liz Canada (00:29):
All right, I will listen to Light in the Piazza.
Sometimes guests come on andthey're like, Liz, you should go
read these state statutes.
No, but I will listen to thecast recording of Light in the
Piazza, I promise you.
Katie Adams (00:41):
I think if one of us is gonna make the other one
read a state statute, it's gonnabe you making me.
Liz Canada (00:59):
You're listening to New Hampshire has Issues, and I
am your host, Liz Canada,bringing you an episode that is
maybe a little bit out of theordinary.
A year ago, I was talking withKatie, who you just heard, about
how her son was raising moneyfor endangered animals.
And I said, if I'm still doingmy podcast in a year, I would
(01:20):
love to have Jack on, uh, if heis still fundraising.
And he he is, and he's my mainguest today.
This episode is perfect forthose of you who have kiddos who
might listen while you listento this podcast.
It's perfect if you don't havekids.
Jack is incredible.
And it's great if you aresomeone who just cares about
(01:41):
something in New Hampshire andyou're like, ugh, can I do
anything?
Is there anything possible Ican do?
It's kind of impossible tolisten to Jack and not have some
hope and optimism about change.
And the same goes for Katie.
The second half of the episode,I talk with her about things
that she's doing, both as aparent of Jack and also on her
own.
(02:02):
Uh, this was the first yearthat she went to the New
Hampshire State House and spokeat a public hearing, and so we
talk about that experience thatshe had.
So this is when I tell you thatif you would like to support
the show, you can become amonthly subscriber at
patreon.com slash nh hasissues.
But more important today is ifyou would like to support Jack's
fundraiser, go to the episodedescription and there is a link
(02:23):
in there that will give you theinformation that you need.
If you would like to send Jacka note, some words of
encouragement, you can send thatmessage to me, Newhampshire has
Issues at gmail.com, and I willmake sure that Jack gets your
message.
Thank you for listening.
All right, Jack, welcome to NewHampshire Has Issues.
(02:44):
I know that you are a youthadvocate, but how young are we
talking?
What grade are you in?
Jack (02:51):
Um, I'm in third grade.
Liz Canada (02:53):
Oh my god, you're in third grade.
My full-time job, my regularday job, I have a role and it's
called an advocacy director.
And my job is to help people toadvocate for things that they
care about.
I'm always curious whatinspires people to want to make
a change and to advocate.
And I know that for the pastfew years, you've been
(03:14):
advocating for, I believe,endangered animals.
Does that sound right?
Does that sound like you?
Jack (03:20):
Yes.
That is exactly what's beenhappening.
Liz Canada (03:22):
That's exactly okay.
So tell me what it is that youdo.
Talk to me about what youradvocacy looks like.
Jack (03:28):
Well, it's always uh one week in this month, the month of
May, where my mom will takevideos of me like sharing facts
about uh the animal, and thenthey will be posted on
Instagram.
And then on the Saturday of theweek, we will have a bake sale
(03:49):
as pretty much like the finalraising of money.
Um, and sometimes we'll liketake them out to Swayze Parkway
and like like walk around andsee if we can find anyone there
who wants to who wants to buy.
Liz Canada (04:02):
In these Instagram videos that you're making,
you're giving information aboutthe animal that you're raising
money for, is that right?
Yes.
What are the types of thingsthat you cover in these videos?
Like what's the kind of factsand information that you're
sharing?
Jack (04:16):
Uh, it feels like the most interesting facts that people
would most likely not know,which would make people want to
dig deeper and learn more aboutthis animal.
And it's easier to do that ifthey exist.
So m it m might get them towant to raise money for them so
(04:37):
that th they can be helped.
Liz Canada (04:39):
Can you share with me the animals you've raised
money for in the past?
Jack (04:44):
Well, this is the third year we're doing it.
Liz Canada (04:46):
So wait, you started this in when you were in first
grade?
Jack (04:48):
Uh yes.
Liz Canada (04:49):
Oh my goodness.
Okay.
All right.
Love this.
Jack (04:51):
The first year was for big cats.
Oh yes, I remember this.
Yes, yes, yes.
It was it was very fun.
It felt like I did not know Icould do this, but now I do.
So um maybe we could carry onwith this next year.
And that's what happened.
Um, the second year I raced forpenguins.
(05:12):
And this third year, um, I amfundraising for dolphins.
Liz Canada (05:17):
When you started this with big cats, what
inspired why why did you startdoing it?
Like, what made you say, like,okay, big cats love them,
respect them, care for them.
I need to raise money for them.
Like, where did this even comefrom?
Jack (05:31):
When I was in preschool, um, I had a passion for all
animals in general.
My favorite was always giraffesum in particular.
And I was like reading booksabout these animals.
Um, I even made a presentationto my preschool class about
(05:53):
giraffes.
Liz Canada (05:54):
Just on your own.
You were like, I'm doing this.
Jack (05:56):
Uh yeah.
And that made me want to uhsave animals in need.
Um and I was also getting intoliking big cats, so I decided
big cats are endangered.
They're so cool.
Liz Canada (06:15):
So cool.
Jack (06:15):
So this is the first one we should do.
And then it kind of justcarried itself through from
there.
I learned about Martin LutherKing Jr.
and his famous speech, TheI Have a Dream speech.
Mm-hmm.
And my teacher asked, if youwere to uh recreate that speech
and write it about somethingsomething different, what would
(06:38):
you write it about?
And I said I would write itabout helping animals.
And then when I got home fromschool that day, while we were
eating dinner, I s I I told thewhole story, basically.
And uh that was when the idealike kind of flowed between our
heads that we should do animalfundraisers yearly.
So so that's where where theidea came from.
Liz Canada (07:02):
So you got an assignment in school.
You have this conversation atschool about Martin Luther King,
and you come home and you talkabout it with your family.
So through that conversationthat was started from your
school, it has led you to thisday still fundraising, still
inspired by that assignment.
Your school did that for you?
Jack (07:20):
Uh yes, that is what happened.
It was a school assignment thatwas not meant to be carried on
in the way it did.
Liz Canada (07:28):
Or maybe, maybe like the teacher secretly hoped that
it would stay with you, but itreally has.
So it lasts a week.
You do this for one full week.
It ends with a bake sale, andthis year, it sounds like you're
focusing on dolphins.
Now, I did get a little sneakpeek that that was the animal
that you were going to becovering.
However, I have done zerostudying.
(07:48):
Okay, I know, I know.
Usually for a guest, I do alittle bit of research, I
promise.
But I wanted to be truly cominginto this as a fresh
conversation.
So, can you give us a littlebit of a preview of the types of
things one might learn aboutdolphins during your fundraising
week?
Jack (08:05):
Well, something, uh, this is probably a more commonly
known fact out of all thepossible facts about dolphins.
Um, dolphins are actually typesof whales.
So when you think of a humpbackwhale, a dolphin is just a type
of whale.
And even though you mightthink, how can that be?
They look totally different.
Liz Canada (08:25):
They do.
Jack (08:26):
They are both marine mammals and they do carry other
similarities that make them inclassified in the same family.
I really did not know that.
Liz Canada (08:36):
Great, I'm learning a lot already.
Keep going.
Jack (08:38):
Another thing about them is that sometimes the the lead
dolphin of a pod, and I I foundthis out um during my earlier
research to be prepared, um,that the lead dolphin will
sometimes rake their teeth onsome of the rest of the pod to
indicate that they're the leadand dominant dolphin, that they
(09:03):
will lead the pod in in alllife.
Liz Canada (09:06):
How much research do you do before you go into your
fundraising week?
Do you call it fundraising?
Do you call it an awarenesscampaign?
What like do you have a anofficial title for what your
week is?
Jack (09:18):
Um, it's kind of unofficial, so it's not like
fully official, but we do callit fundraising.
And we do a lot of researchingfor this so that uh we can be
prepared and pick pick thingsout that we do want to include
when sharing facts about theanimal and things that we don't
(09:39):
want to include when sharingfacts about the end.
Liz Canada (09:41):
Mm-hmm.
So you have to make decisionsof like, I want to tell the
audience these really importantfacts that I think they're gonna
like, but these other onesmight not be the best for the
videos that I'm making.
Jack (09:53):
Yeah.
And it's like you can learnfacts anytime you want to.
Just uh if you can like go tothe library or something and
like pick out a fact book aboutreally anything, uh, and you can
like find out stuff uh that youmight not have known already.
And it it's really cool.
(10:14):
Uh and that's why it's not asuper big matter that I say
every single possible fact.
Liz Canada (10:21):
Right.
Yeah.
You're sort of like gettingpeople interested that if they
then want to learn even more,they have like that sort of base
knowledge to build off of.
Jack (10:30):
Yeah, yeah.
That's that's pretty true.
And that that sounds right,yeah.
Liz Canada (10:36):
All right.
I'm gonna I'm gonna ask aquestion that maybe a listener
might be wondering, Jack.
Where does the money go?
If you're raising money, wheredoes the money get sent to?
Jack (10:46):
During our fact preparation, uh, my mom will
look into charities that supportthe animal, whether it's the
animal specifically or it's uhthe animal and its family.
And once she finds a charitythat uh she knows will work, we
uh always release a video aboutthis is the charity it's being
(11:09):
donated to.
Right.
So yeah, that's where the moneygoes.
It goes to a charity that willuh help and protect the animal.
This year's charity is theNational Marine Mammal
Foundation.
And I remember like looking ontheir website and they had
around 10 to 15 marine mammalsthat were like listed.
(11:31):
Uh these are the ones that wedefinitely want to protect,
including the Amazon RiverDolphin and the Atlantic
Humphack Dolphin.
Liz Canada (11:40):
Okay, I didn't even know that there were multiple
types of dolphins, if I'm gonnabe honest.
This is all new information.
Do you have a fundraising goal?
Sometimes when people dofundraisers, they say, I want to
raise this amount of money.
Or are you just thinking, Iwant to just raise what I can
raise?
Or something else, a secretthird thing, maybe.
Jack (11:57):
Uh yeah.
It was something that is uhactually not what you mentioned.
I was feeling like personalgoals.
And it's like I think thesecond year we did not beat the
personal goal of big cats, butwe still raised a lot of money.
So what I want to do is justit's just beat the personal
best.
Liz Canada (12:13):
Do you want to share what your personal best is?
You don't have to.
You can keep it secret.
Jack (12:17):
I don't know what the personal best is off the top of
my head.
Liz Canada (12:20):
Uh it's we might be getting some notes from the side
of the room.
Hard to say.
Jack (12:23):
It is somewhere around $2,000.
Liz Canada (12:27):
Wow.
Okay, that's a really goodpersonal best, Jack.
That's you're in third grade,you've already raised literally
thousands of dollars for animalsin past years, and so you're
hoping to beat that this year.
Jack (12:39):
Yes, I am very much hoping to beat that this year.
And it's just th there's justso many fun things to helping
animals in in these ways becauseit's like you feel so good
about yourself, and it's like, Ican do that.
I I know that I can do that.
I want to keep doing this.
I feel like uh the longer I'mdoing this, the more confident
(13:01):
I'll feel about doing thisbecause I know I will learn some
like the secrets to like justbeing in public in general and
like speaking in public, andI've had a lot of experience
with that now.
Liz Canada (13:13):
So Yeah, to feel that confidence of you know,
you're researching, you'relearning, you're educating
others, and like that does thatbuilds confidence and it's like
it's it's this experience ofcaring about something and
wanting to do something aboutit.
Like that's really incredible.
Jack (13:27):
Yeah, yeah.
I feel so good about doing thatas well.
That's awesome.
Liz Canada (13:31):
So, Jack, you also serve on your elementary school
student council.
What led you to run for studentcounsel?
Did you go into elementaryschool being like, you know
what, I'm gonna be a politician.
I am running for studentcounsel now.
I'm always trying to get peopleto run for office.
Here you are, you're an electedofficial.
Jack (13:47):
Well, my older brother Luke, he also wanted to run for
student council and he ended upbeing one of the what we call
officers.
Um he was the treasurer, so helike organizes the money that is
that is used at the schoolstore.
Um and so I wanted to do ittoo, and I knew it would be hard
because I haven't I didn't havethat much experience with
(14:10):
writing speeches before becausethat's what we need to do, and
then we vote on whose speech wasum the best.
But I did it and I I gotthrough it and I'm glad I'm in
the student council.
Liz Canada (14:23):
Do you remember what you campaigned on?
What was part of your speechthat you gave?
Jack (14:27):
The community fridge, um near the Yeah, the YMCA.
Yeah, near the Y.
Um I remember talking aboutmaybe we should have a drive of
food to go to the communityfridge.
Um, I remember uh talking aboutthat.
Liz Canada (14:43):
That's awesome.
Now I have learned veryrecently that you started a
petition at your school.
You want to tell me a littlebit about this petition that you
started?
Jack (14:54):
Uh yes.
So I was in the cafeteria.
They served French toast.
It was it was great.
Liz Canada (15:01):
Shout out to the French toast in the cafeteria.
Yes.
Love that, yep.
Jack (15:04):
Except it was hard to cut because we do not have plastic
knives at our school.
Um, it's like I've done it withtwo plastic forks, so it would
be much more convenient to do itwith plastic knives, especially
because w we need these forksfor other things other than the
French toast.
Uh so luckily I had some paperand I wrote a petition about we
(15:27):
should have knives.
And I brought it into thestudent council, um, and they
told me to speak with the theprincipal about it.
So I will be doing that nextweek.
Liz Canada (15:37):
Oh my goodness, so you're like mid-journey in this
petition.
You got other students to signon?
Jack (15:44):
Uh yes, we got about uh around 30 to 40 students, and
it's like out of a whole school,that's not that much, but
there's only so many people wecould ask access.
Liz Canada (15:56):
So Jack, that's a lot of that's a lot of students
that you got sign-ons for.
Let me let me just be reallyclear that when we have
citizens' petitions in townwhere you can literally get
something on the ballot that youcare about if you get enough
signatures.
It's somewhere around thatnumber, I'm pretty sure, maybe
even fewer.
So, like, you did as much workas folks do to change something
(16:19):
in Exeter in general.
You did it right there in yourown elementary school.
So I hope you will keep meposted on what happens if you
get the knives for the Frenchtoast.
Will you follow up with me?
Jack (16:27):
Yes, uh, I definitely will the moment that I can.
Yes.
Liz Canada (16:31):
Thank you.
All right, so a lot of peoplewho listen to my little podcast,
they have kids in their lives,whether their parents themselves
or their aunties or whomeverthey are, and sometimes they
listen in the car with theirkiddos with them.
What is your advice to thosekids who might be listening in
the backseat or in their house?
What's your advice to them onmaking change and advocating
(16:55):
like what would be yourrecommendation if they care
about something, but they'venever done any of the things
that you just have talked about?
Jack (17:00):
The first step to doing that is finding your passion and
looking through it and thinkingabout it.
Is there a problem with this?
And if there is, what's theproblem and how can it be
solved?
Once you have the solution, allyou have to do is take action
and do it.
And some people might not feellike, well, I'm just a kid.
(17:23):
I I don't have the power to dothat.
You do have the power to dothat.
You can change something in theworld no matter how small.
Liz Canada (17:33):
Jack, thank you so much for being on New Hampshire
Has Issues.
And I am gonna look forward tothe videos that will be posted
so I can learn more and so thatI can also donate to your
fundraising week.
That would be great.
So, Katie, Jack is incredible,by the way.
Not sure if you're aware thatyour child is incredible.
You made him yourself.
(17:54):
All right, so you're a boy mom.
I'm uh boy list, which can betaken out of context somehow.
What are your boy mom'ssecrets?
Like, tell me what it's likeraising you have three boys.
Give me three boys.
Secrets and hot tips on raisingyoung guys.
Katie Adams (18:10):
Well, I would say the biggest surprise has been
how naturally sweet they are.
Like they boys come out sweetand like they love their moms
and they're very loving.
So I think really like alwaysbeing that tender place for them
(18:30):
where they can always bringthat sweetness.
Because as they grow up, theworld encourages them to harden
a little bit and being the likealways that kind of soft
presence at home, making it safefor them to feel like they can
be that um sweeter, more tenderside at home, I think is like
one of my one of the things I'velearned um about being a boy
(18:54):
mom.
And also, I mean, my three areall very different, but they all
went through my my youngestone, Theo, is four and is in it
right now, like an incrediblypassionate phase of devotion to
the Pixar Cars franchise.
So the second thing I'velearned is absolutely everything
(19:15):
about Lightning McQueen and allof the Cars movies and Radiator
Springs and the Cars uhcinematic universe.
These are now deeply special tome.
I will be buried with all ofthe little figurines.
So that is uh if you have boys,I suggest, you know, be a soft
place for them to land and knoweverything about Lightning
(19:36):
McQueen.
Liz Canada (19:36):
Two easy things to do, I think, yeah.
As a as a parent.
Perfect.
When I talked to Jack, youknow, he he was very clear that
he has your help in thisprocess, right?
He's like, mom helps withfinding the right place to, you
know, donate to.
What's been your experience asmom in this process of
supporting him in this journeyof raising money and, you know,
(20:00):
talking to the general public,putting his putting himself out
there and and sharinginformation.
What has it been like for youas mom?
Katie Adams (20:07):
Jack is my middle son, and he is the most, he is
the most himself of the three, Iwould say.
He is has always been uniqueand really steadfast in the ways
in which he marches to his owndrummer.
And I think he mentioned in theinterview that his first
(20:27):
passion for animals was aboutgiraffes.
And I mean, he just gently butforcefully dragged the whole
family and his entire preschoolclass into a giraffe era.
Like everyone in that preschoolclass learned that these things
are called osicones andeverything else about giraffes.
Liz Canada (20:46):
Wow.
Katie Adams (20:47):
It was just impossible to resist him.
He has like, he's like got uslike a steady drip where it just
like it is gentle, but it will,it is relentless, which is a
wonderful quality in anactivist.
Absolutely.
We have learned.
So when this idea kind ofgerminated about doing a
fundraiser, I wanted to empowerhim about using his voice and
(21:10):
following his passion.
He's very passionate.
Well, I also thought this wasan opportunity to both give him
the spotlight, which issomething I look for for my
middle son, and also teach himsome things like if we're trying
to get people to understandwhat we're saying in a video,
what are some strategies to dothat?
(21:31):
And when we're going to givemoney to a charity, how do we
think about what are some waysthat we find a good one?
You know, it feels like thereare a lot of opportunities built
into this to learn together andto teach him.
And my main hope was that hewould feel empowered and proud.
And I think he does.
Liz Canada (21:53):
Oh, I think that comes across very clearly that
he's like super proud of whathe's working on.
Katie Adams (21:58):
But have there been bumps along the way of
Liz Canada (22:00):
Of doing this type of fundraiser.
Katie Adams (22:02):
Yeah.
Well, like sometimes what whatwe mainly do is make videos
sharing facts about the animal.
And post I post them onInstagram with his permission.
So sometimes, you know, hecomes up with a fact where I'm
like, this is interesting, butit's not really making our case
for this animal.
So like how can we, how can wethink about choosing the facts?
(22:25):
I think the biggest bump isjust, you know, I cannot control
how much people donate.
So we put out a video, andmaybe the first day we get a
couple hundred dollars sent tomy, we just do it, they send it
to my Venmo.
And he's so excited.
But then maybe the second daywe don't really get much.
And he I and he asks and he'scurious about where we are with
(22:48):
all of that.
And I share it, and I want toshare it with him in a way that
doesn't make him feel like it'sa referendum on that specific
video or him that day.
Right.
But there is a sense in whichyou open yourself up to being
disappointed when you putyourself out there like that.
So I would say that's thetrickiest part.
Liz Canada (23:06):
And what about the rest of the family?
You know, he's got an olderbrother, he's got a younger
brother, he's got a dad.
How does everybody else getinvolved or not?
Katie Adams (23:14):
It's a different dynamic every year because every
year the dynamics between theboys are different.
So generally there is somecompetitiveness about it in the
beginning or while we're in likethe prep phase.
But I would say once we'rereally in the week where we're
sharing the videos and makingthe videos and preparing for the
bake sale, everyone kind ofgets excited.
(23:36):
I mean, Jack is you just cannotresist him.
Liz Canada (23:39):
Yeah.
Katie Adams (23:40):
And so, like, even his older brother, who's now 12,
who occasionally has moments ofrolling his eyes, you know, if
he sees a cool dolphin thing outin the world, he's like, Hey
Jack, check out this dolphinthing.
Like it affects everyone.
And like, yeah, and his dadespecially helps him with the
baking for the bake sale.
(24:00):
So the whole family ends upbeing just seduced to the cause.
I mean, that's Jack's that'shis magic touch.
Liz Canada (24:07):
Yeah, it was great chatting with him and hearing
from him and hearing the storyabout student counsel and going
there and you know, bringing hispetition and that he's gonna
meet with the principal.
Has he met with the principalyet?
He said he was gonna do thatthis week.
Katie Adams (24:19):
He reached out to the principal today and did not
hear back.
So little does that principalknow that there's gonna be a lot
of eyes on him now.
Liz Canada (24:26):
Well, now it's on the podcast.
We are all paying attention.
That's right now for sure.
So, Katie, I I do want to talkabout your own advocacy because
I I know you as a human.
This is the first time you'vegone to a public hearing in New
Hampshire at least, and giventestimony.
And I thought that's veryinteresting that, you know, I'm
gonna have Jack on the podcastto talk about his advocacy and
(24:48):
also like you have some newadvocacy experiences as well.
And I'm hoping you just talkabout that.
Like, why did you do that?
A lot of the folks who listento this podcast obviously care
about at least one issue.
So, what was that experiencelike for you to go to the state
house and provide testimony to acommittee?
Katie Adams (25:07):
Well, I am involved in some local action groups.
Um, and one of the groups I'min, we set a goal that we would
try to do this this year in2026.
We would try to testify at thestate house.
And there are no shortage ofbills that come before our state
(25:27):
representatives that I feelstrongly about.
And this one in particular waswritten in such a way that it
was claiming that our childrenare being indoctrinated in our
public schools, and we have tostop that.
Two of my children are inpublic school right now.
My third will join publicschool next year.
They are not beingindoctrinated.
(25:49):
Um, and so I felt strongly thatI could speak to this topic.
I have friends who could giveme a lot of insight about how
the process worked, which Ithought was really helpful.
And I thought, you know, once Ido this, I'll be able to
demystify it for some of myfriends and some people that I
(26:12):
know who care about it.
The experience was interesting.
I was, I mean, it isintimidating when you've never
done it because the wholeprocess, it follows these rules,
which are kind of they seemarbitrary from the outside, and
you don't really know walkinginto it, like what you're
supposed to do, where you'resupposed to sit, and when do you
(26:32):
speak?
And so getting used to that,the formality and the kind of
culture was, I would say, thepart that sort of made me the
most nervous.
And the first time I went totestify, they had so many people
there to talk that I couldn't.
They were like, we have to stopthe hearing and recess, so
we'll pick it up again nextweek.
To drive an hour to Concord thefollowing week is really asking
(26:56):
a lot.
And I was angry.
I was angry that I had takentime, you know, to do this.
And I was mad because I waslike, I'm trying to do this
thing, and now it's becomeinconvenient for me.
But I am more stubborn thananything else.
So I came back the next weekand I was able to testify.
And what I really ended upfeeling was I have a lot of
(27:22):
respect for this process, butthese people work for me.
Liz Canada (27:27):
So true.
Katie Adams (27:29):
They're not doing me a favor by listening to my
two-minute, you know, statementabout this bill.
That's what they're supposed todo.
And I can show up with all therespect and deference to the
offices they hold and theprocess while still feeling
extremely entitled to be thereand speak my mind.
That is their whole job tolisten to their constituents.
Liz Canada (27:53):
Absolutely.
You know, I had an episode veryearly on with leader Alexa
Simpson, and we talked about theprocess of, you know, the
legislative process.
And every bill gets a hearingin New Hampshire.
And those hearings are folksfrom the public coming to
Concord.
You have to go in person.
And so what happened in thathearing, Katie, is kind of
(28:13):
unusual, where they say,actually, we have to stop and
we're going to come back a wholedifferent day.
Like that is that doesn'thappen very often and is
extremely inconvenient forpeople who have traveled who
knows how far and have like madetheir day about being there.
And I'm sure there were quite afew people who were there the
first day but couldn't go backthe second day.
(28:35):
And that just means that theirtestimony is not heard.
Katie Adams (28:38):
Yeah.
I work for myself, so I'm ableto make my own schedule.
And that, and even just theprocess of going on a weekday in
the morning when the vastmajority of people are at a nine
to five job, it's not set up tobe convenient, but it is
doable.
And it turns out that'sactually not that scary.
(29:00):
And something I noticed that Ididn't expect was a lot of the
people there were clearlyexperts who all the committee
members knew already and alreadyknew what they were going to
say about the bills.
Liz Canada (29:14):
Oh, interesting.
Katie Adams (29:16):
And I thought I was not the only one who was not an
expert, but I kind of thoughtit actually makes it more
important to go if you're not anexpert.
Because I think a lot ofpeople, myself included, have
felt like, do I really knowenough about this?
Do I know everything about thissubject in to go and testify?
Like, shouldn't I really be,shouldn't this be my life's work
(29:38):
before I make my two-minutestatement?
And I would argue that manypeople are not experts who are
in even writing thislegislation.
So don't let that stop you.
But also hearing from theregular people who are going to
be affected by this legislationis really powerful and
important.
And it's actually evensometimes more important for
(30:00):
just parents or citizens to bethere alongside people giving
expert testimony.
Liz Canada (30:06):
That's such a great point.
There are folks who are at thestatehouse pretty often.
They're with organizations.
And so the lawmakers know themreally well.
I'm one of those people.
When I walk into many of thecommittees that I'm in, they
they know who I am.
When they call my name, theyknow that that's me, right?
Like some there somewhatfrequently.
But folks who aren't there,there's a different reverence to
(30:27):
their testimony because theyare real life granite staters.
Like they have taken the timeout of their entire day to make
that commute to be there andoffer their perspective.
And it's not about being anexpert.
It's about I care about whathappens to this.
I want it to become law or I donot want it to become law.
(30:48):
And here is why.
And that's available foranybody in the public to be able
to do.
So I'm so glad that you thatyou did that.
That's a that's a huge deal.
Congratulations.
Katie Adams (30:58):
It was I was really glad I did it too.
And my deepest hope would bethat someone that I have a
social relationship in ourcommunity who is not a political
activist would maybe think,well, I mean, if she can do it,
like I could do it.
You know, one of the baseballmoms or someone I know from the
kids' theater group or whateverit is.
Because that's when the processworks best, is when everyone
(31:22):
feels like, this is my problem,actually.
Liz Canada (31:24):
That's exactly right.
Katie Adams (31:25):
All right.
Liz Canada (31:25):
So I asked Jack what his advice is to other kids.
If they care about an issue,what should they do?
What's your advice to the otherparents, aunties, grandparents
who care about things?
What's your advice to them?
Katie Adams (31:40):
If it if we're talking about pe adults uh
trying to get a toe intoactivism, my advice is even
though it is scary to realizethat there is no savior coming
to right every wrong that youmay see in this country or
world, it is also all thepermission you need to be the
(32:01):
one and to decide that you aregoing to save yourself and your
community in whatever way youcare about.
And so just pick pick a thinglike Jack and devote yourself to
it.
In terms of being a parent orcaregiver, I try to lower the
(32:22):
barrier of entry for my kids.
So um I have brought them to acouple of really local um
protests or community eventswhere I knew pretty well who was
gonna be there, what the vibewas gonna be.
I felt really comfortablebringing them.
And they're right in theirtown, they're seeing familiar
(32:42):
faces.
I think that's good for kids.
But I also try to just behonest about boy, I'm feeling
frustrated about this thing andI can't really fix it.
Let's bring some food over tothe community fridge or let's
give $5 to an organization thatwe care about.
And we won't have solvedeverything, but we'll have done
(33:04):
one thing.
And just being transparentabout those small actions, I
think kids then feel like, okay,this is a doable thing.
I think that one of thedifficult things about being a
parent in this moment ismanaging the bad feelings, fear
or anxiety or anger.
And I had to learn thatpretending I don't have them or
(33:27):
I'm not concerned about politicsdidn't really work.
And it was better to just findan age-appropriate way to share
it and then find anage-appropriate way to remedy it
and doing that one small thing,focusing on one thing in your
community.
I started out talking aboutthat with the kids as a way to
help them, but really it hashelped me the most.
Liz Canada (33:47):
Taking a little bit of control in this very chaotic
world that we are in in thisexact moment, and navigating it
with your kids along the way,making sure that they get
through it too.
Yeah.
A plus work.
Mommy.
I'm done.
I think they're all perfect.
They're perfect.
Jack (34:04):
Nail that done and done.
I love Hamilton and music.
Those two always like breakeach other up in my mind.
And I also remember being umInto the Woods.
Liz Canada (34:17):
Into the Woods is my favorite musical.
Did you already know this?
Jack (34:20):
Uh no, I did not know that.
Liz Canada (34:22):
Who did you play in Into the Woods?
Jack (34:23):
I played as Reconto Springs.
Liz Canada (34:26):
So you had the very funny song.
Hagani.
Jack, do you think we shouldstart a podcast about musicals?
I think yes.
Yes.
Okay, perfect.
The answer is yes.
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