WCA Ground Truthing
Ground Truthing unites community voices from across Westchester County to discuss topics that impact children and families. Guests represent content experts, advocates and youth voices. The show will highlight bright spots and critically question existing policies and practices through data-informed conversations. Hosted by GPS4Kids Program Manager and WCA staff, Erica Ayala. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Episodes
May 14, 2025 • 14 mins
May is Mental Health Awareness Month! To commemorate the month and continue ongoing discussions of the mental health crises facing youth today, WCA is releasing a new Ground Truthing podcast episode. This time, it's an episode from our podcast archives, featuring a conversation with Dr. Adam Weissman of the Weissman Children's Foundation, and the Child & Family Institute. Give this episode a listen to hear about mental health data ...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
February 17, 2025 • 41 mins
Why are there mentions of Star Trek, the TV show “Killing Eve”, and ice skating in a WCA Ground Truthing episode about mental health in the Asian community? Join us for a powerful conversation with Dr. Teresa Hsu, Founder and Executive Director of SPEAK (a Supportive Place for Empowering Asian Americans and Kin), County Legislator David Imamura, County Legislator Jewel Williams Johnson, WCA Board President Ann Umemoto and podcas...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
July 13, 2023 • 14 mins
Debora Barrios, a housing consultant at the Community Resource Center in Mamaroneck, speaks about her experience as a volunteer in WCA’s Court Watchers Program. Launched this summer, Court Watchers trains volunteers before sending them out to view landlord-tenant eviction courts in Westchester, and document their observations. The Court Watchers Program contributes to WCA’s continued advocacy efforts for child and family homelessne...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
February 16, 2023 • 21 mins
Jasmine Cabrera and Ja'Quan Wallace from the Youth Shelter of Westchester speak about their experiences with discipline, alternative programs, and community advocacy alongside four NYS youth justice bills: Solutions Not Suspensions, Youth Justice and Opportunities Act, Right to Remain Silent, and Clean Slate. They speak with Westchester Children’s Association intern Gabby Nanna, promoting WCA and YSOW’s upcoming Youth Justice Rally...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Michael Randall of the Fellowship between Bronxville High School, Mount Vernon High School, Yonkers Public Schools, and Sarah Lawrence College invited our executive director, Allison Lake, along with teachers from Mount Vernon and Yonkers to participate in a series of interviews about their investigation into the school-to-prison pipeline along with teachers from Mount Vernon and Yonkers. They graciously shared their podcast with u...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
August 17, 2020 • 26 mins
Westchester Youth Speakers, Sandra Aderemi and Diego Rivera, speak about how they are active in their communities and striving for change for themselves and others during latest episode of Ground Truthing, a podcast by Westchester Children's Association. They speak about the importance of registering to vote, voting, and encouraging others to do the same. Listen in and subscribe to Ground Truthing for more!
www.wca4kids.org/wca-...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
June 23, 2020 • 22 mins
Part 2 of our latest episode is full of important insight from our two guests, Dr. Lilian Reynolds and Karl Bertrand, child homelessness and race in Westchester County, New York. In part 1 of this episode, both of our guests discuss how data guides their homelessness work, why varying definitions lead to an inaccurate count of the homeless population, and how the history of race and racism impacts homelessness today. Dr. Lillian F...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
March 25, 2020 • 26 mins
WCA Podcast Season 3 Episode 2 - 'Ground Truthing' interview of Dr. Lilian Reynolds and Karl Bertrand regarding child homelessness and race in Westchester County, New York. Hosted by Erica Ayala
In part 1 of this episode, both of our guests discuss how data guides their homelessness work, why varying definitions lead to an inaccurate count of the homeless population, and how the history of race and racism impacts homelessness toda...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
October 17, 2019 • 30 mins
Interview with WCA's Advocacy Breakfast keynote speaker, Marc Dones, for our 1st episode of Season 3 for 'Ground Truthing'.
Dones is the Executive Director of National Innovation Services that specializes in tackling complex problems and holding organizations and groups to bold solutions and outcomes.
[Marc Dones' pronouns: They, Them, Theirs] Host: Erica L. Ayala
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
July 29, 2019 • 37 mins
Welcome to Season Two of Ground Truthing, Westchester Children’s Association's monthly podcast where we offer policy insights from the ground up by featuring community voices from Westchester county.
Hosted by Erica Ayala.
This episode, we chat with Karen Blumenthal.
Karen will soon retire after 25 years working as a policy advocate at Student Advocacy. Karen has been at the forefront of the code of conduct conversations happen...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
May 3, 2019 • 36 mins
Nicholas Kristof has been a columnist for The New York Times since 2001. Over his career, Kristof has won two Pulitzer Prizes, along with many humanitarian awards. This year, he will receive the Edith C. Macy Award for Distinguished Service at the Westchester Children’s association Spring Benefit.
Ahead of our May 21st event honoring Kristof, he sat down with WCA executive director Allison Lake and Project Manager Erica Ayala to c...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
April 1, 2019 • 21 mins
This month, our guest is John Tolomer, President and CEO of Westchester Bank. John has 40 years of experience in the banking industry and it all started with an internship.
Since then, John has focused on paying it forward! In 2016, Westchester Bank became a key funder of the READI Campaign, a job readiness program for youth entering the workforce. We also discuss how Westchester Bank diversifies its community efforts by engaging...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
February 19, 2019 • 29 mins
On Season 2, Episode 2 (Part II) of Ground Truthing, we welcome Reverend Dr. Jim Bostic to the show.
Dr. Bostic is the co-chair of the Yonkers My Brother's Keeper initiative, one of 10 MBK communities recognized by the Obama Foundation as a National Impact Community, the highest tier of the first-ever MBK Community Challenge Competition.
In Part II of this two-part interview, Dr. Bostic discusses the collaboration with Yonkers ...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
January 3, 2019 • 26 mins
On Season 2, Episode 2 (Part I) of Ground Truthing, we welcome Reverend Dr. Jim Bostic to the show.
Dr. Bostic is the co-chair of the Yonkers My Brother's Keeper initiative, one of 10 MBK communities recognized by the Obama Foundation as a National Impact Community, the highest tier of the first-ever MBK Community Challenge Competition.
In Part I of this two-part interview, Dr. Bostic talks about the Yonkers MBK initiative and ...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
October 31, 2018 • 16 mins
In 2013, the Westchester Children’s Association launched the Vote for Kids campaign that aims to elevate Westchester’s children and youth to the top of the public agenda among candidates, elected officials, media and the general public during the upcoming elections.
Vote for Kids provides tools to help child advocates, parents, caretakers or community members – keep children’s issues at the forefront of this election cycle. In the...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
September 21, 2018 • 12 mins
We are gearing up for the second season Ground Truthing, set to launch next month. Until then, enjoy a special BONUS EPISODE ahead of our Vision 0 to 3 Conference on Tuesday, October 16 at the Doubletree Hotel in Tarrytown, NY.
Margie Orell, executive director of The Frog Rock Foundation (and WCA Board Member) joins us to discuss the upcoming event, and its importance on the zero to three population in Westchester County.
To re...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
August 8, 2018 • 18 mins
The first season of Ground Truthing has focused on creating positive learning environments for children in Westchester County. We would be remiss to omit the issue of gun violence before closing out this season.
Earlier this year, students across Westchester County organized several rallies in support of the national March For Our Lives movement. Westchester Children's Association staff and board members were on-hand to support a...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
June 26, 2018 • 4 mins
Listen to a short interview with Daniel Marshall, rising senior at Irvington High School and rally organizer.
Daniel talks to GPS4Kids Project Manager Erica L. Ayala about organizing the June 20th March for Refugee Children, using social media to mobilize his peers, and the importance of voting to enact change.
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
May 23, 2018 • 18 mins
This month, we are joined by Katie Pfeifer, the Director of Programs & Evaluation at Volunteer New York.
Katie brings a strong professional and volunteer service background to Volunteer New York!. In her current role, she ensures the organization is on track to meet grant deliverables and evaluates program impact. Katie also oversees the Job Readiness Through Volunteerism program, a program designed to increase awareness of job s...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
April 18, 2018 • 21 mins
This month, we are joined by Danny Bernstein, the Executive Director of Backyard Sports.
Backyard Sports was created to bring these powerful youth sports experiences to today’s aspiring young athletes. In 2010 Danny launched Backyard Sports Cares, a not for profit 501(c)3 which brings youth based sports development programming to at risk and special needs children in the Westchester community.
In 2011, the program received the ...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Popular Podcasts
Hey Jonas! The official Jonas Brothers podcast. Hosted by Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas. It’s the Jonas Brothers you know... musicians, actors, and well, yes, brothers. Now, they’re sharing another side of themselves in the playful, intimate, and irreverent way only they can. Spend time with the Jonas Brothers here and stay a little bit longer for deep conversations like never before.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Building on the belief that a deeper understanding of the natural world enriches all of our lives, host Steven Rinella brings an in-depth and relevant look at all outdoor topics including hunting, fishing, nature, conservation, and wild foods. Filled with humor, irreverence, and things that will surprise the hell out of you, each episode welcomes a diverse group of guests who add their own expertise to the vast world of the outdoors. Part of The MeatEater Podcast Network.
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.