Talking About Kids

My guest for this episode is Heather Sauyaq Jean Gordon. She is Iñupiaq and a research scientist in the Youth Development program at Child Trends. Heather’s work focuses on Indigenous youth, families, and Elders and the topics of colonization, historical trauma, and culture as a protective factor. Together, we explore the what, why, and how of anti-racist approaches to supporting the Native and Indigenous kids in your lives. We als...

In this episode, I talk with Gina Godbehere, one of the founders of Speak Up Stand Up Save a Life, and Annie Middlemist, the organization’s Executive Director, about their conference’s approach to promoting mental health and reducing suicides, bullying, and substance abuse. I encourage you to listen and evaluate whether the Speak Up Stand Up Save a Life might benefit you or your work. I hope that this episode might also inspire you...

It is difficult to overstate how terrifying it can be to try to leave an abusive relationship. In this episode, Michael Hughes, Chief Operating Officer, and Kathy Di Nolfi, Chief Program Officer, at A New Leaf – one of the Nation’s premier service providers – explain what domestic violence (or “DV”) services are available in communities and what happens at every step in the process. We hope that this information will make it easier...

My guest this episode is Tracie Afifi, Professor in the Departments of Community Health Sciences and Psychiatry at the University of Manitoba and an Associate Editor of the journal Child Abuse & Neglect. Tracie’s research advances our understanding of adverse childhood experiences and protective factors by examining, on a macro level, what makes an experience positive or negative and looking for other experiences that fit those...

My guest this episode is David Simmons. David is an actor, musician, director, playwright, composer, and educator, but I know him best as the founder of the UBU Project. The UBU Project is an arts education outreach organization specializing in social-emotional (SEL) arts integration. I first encountered David and the UBU Project when I was reviewing material for the Speak Up Stand Up Save a Life conference. I was and remain impres...

In this episode, I talk with Tyanna Buie. Tyanna is a visual artist whose work is exhibited nationally, including shows at the Haggerty Museum of Art, The Red Bull House of Art, and The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit. She also is the Section Chair of Printmaking at the College for Creative Studies. Tyanna and I discuss how growing up in the foster care system shaped her approach to art and how she goes about inspiring young art...

My guest for this episode is Tommy Snider, the writer, director, and star of the YouTube children’s series Fizzling’s Funhouse. Tommy has been a working actor for nearly 20 years, and, if you do not know him by name, I guarantee you have seen him in Grey’s Anatomy, Rules of Engagement, Bad Samaritans, I’m Dying Up Here, Baskets the Clown, Top Elf, or Doom Patrol. I think Tommy’s personal journey explains a lot about his current pro...

My guest for this episode is Aaron Kupchik, Professor of Sociology at the University of Delaware and the author of numerous articles and books, including the award-winning Judging Juveniles: Prosecuting Adolescents in Adult and Juvenile Courts and Homeroom Security: School Discipline in an Age of Fear. For the last two decades, Aaron has calmly and assertively promoted the research about what actually makes schools safer. Aaron and...

In this episode, I talk with Iya Affo. Iya is a Culturalist, a Historical Trauma Specialist, and the founder of Heal Historical Trauma. When many of us were still gaining an understanding of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), Iya was pushing past early childhood and calling attention to the consequences of intergenerational trauma. She and I discuss this and how understanding discrimination can help all kids succeed. We also ans...

In this episode, I talk with psychologist Andrew Lenartz about his research on how connecting with nature yields a variety of benefits to children and adolescents. Andy was nice enough to suggest some resources for parents, educators, and direct service providers who are looking to create outdoor experiences for the kids in their lives. Links to those and to Andy's book can be found at www.TalkingAboutKids.com. We also answer a...

In this episode, I talk with Patty Talahongva - documentary filmmaker, activist, and senior correspondent for Indian Country Today - about what does and does not work for Native kids. Native students have some of the worst education outcomes of any segment of the U.S. population, and Patty and I use her experience and the history of Indian boarding schools to give context to this issue. During our conversation, Patty mentions sever...

In this episode, I talk with Wendy Wolfersteig - Director of Evaluation and Partner Contracts at the Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center (SIRC) at Arizona State University - about what we know about kids from statewide surveys like the Arizona Youth Survey (AYS). Although the AYS is specific to Arizona, I believe that its findings are consistent with national trends. A link to the most recent AYS report is at www.TalkingAbo...

In this episode, I talk with Sarah Lindstrom Johnson - professor at Arizona State University and expert on prevention interventions for youth - about what we know about kids from national studies, like the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), Monitoring the Future, and the School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey. If you want to follow along, links to data from those studies are at www.TalkingA...

My name is R. Bradley Snyder. I am a researcher, activist, and author of several books, including The 5 Simple Truths of Raising Kids. In this episode, I introduce my new, weekly podcast, Talking About Kids. Designed for parents, educators, and direct services professionals alike, Talking About Kids explores the latest information on issues impacting children and adolescents, from preventing bullying to unlocking creativity. In thi...