KIPP On Learning Podcast

For our series finale episode, we are excited to have New York Times best-selling author Erika L. Sánchez join us to talk about what inspires her work, what’s next for her, and how we can ignite students to become passionate readers and writers.   Erika L. Sánchez is a Mexican American poet, novelist, and essayist. Her debut poetry collection, Lessons on Expulsion, was a finalist for the PEN Open Book Award. Her debut young adult novel, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, was a New York Times bestseller and a National Book Award finalist. It’s now being made into a film directed by America Ferrera. She is also the Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Chair at DePaul University in Chicago. Her newest release and first adult book Crying in The Bathroom is a memoir that traces her life in deeply moving, wildly hilarious prose—from her misfit childhood growing up as the daughter of Mexican immigrants in ’90s Chicago, to struggles with her body and mental illness, to her rise to literary fame.

This month we are excited to be joined by journalist Farai Chideya to talk about her career in journalism and her insights on our political landscape. Farai is an award-winning journalist, speaker, author, and academic who tells stories about the human journey, government, and global society. She has covered every presidential election since 1996 and has reported for various outlets, from NPR, ABC News, CNN, the Intercept, Newsweek, and more. Since the start of her career, Farai has championed the need for equitable practices in news media. She's now the host of, Our Body Politic, a podcast unapologetically centered on how women of color experience and impact the major political events of today.

We are thrilled to kick off the year with special guest Sal Khan, CEO and founder of Khan Academy. Sal Khan founded Khan Academy as a nonprofit organization in 2008 with a mission to provide a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.  Khan Academy has more than 145 million registered users around the world, serves students in 51 languages, and is used in more than 190 countries. Khan Academy’s platforms include more than 70,000 interactive practice problems as well as videos and articles that cover a range of pre-K–12 subjects. Since the pandemic, the organization has grown from 9 to 280 school district partners across the country and has been used to teach in KIPP classrooms across the network. Listen to hear Sal Khan discuss how Khan Academy evolved to meet the needs of students during the pandemic, the future of EdTech, reimagining the adoption of AI in the classroom, and more. We hope you enjoy the episode and be sure to subscribe to get alerted first about new episodes.

Why is talking about yourself and your accomplishments so difficult? Join Career Confidence Coach Toni Purvis as she teaches how to speak about your accomplishments modestly but proudly without being cringey or annoying, and how to advocate for yourself when it counts most. Toni Purvis is the owner of Paradigm One LLC, a consulting firm that partners with colleges, universities, non-profits, and companies to provide etiquette workshops, organizational coaching, and career development consulting.  She takes extreme pride and passion in helping young professionals navigate their work environment, polish their brand, shape their professional image, and own their narrative. Emphasizing self-awareness and social intelligence, her approach focuses on practical strategies to increase confidence through soft skills, executive presence, and authentic relationship building. We hope you enjoy the episode and be sure to subscribe to the KIPP On Learning Podcast to get alerted first about new episodes. Give us a rating too if you have a moment 🙂

It’s mid-term election time and although the polls have closed important civic engagement work continues across the country. This month we are excited to have Stephanie Young, Executive Director and Senior Advisor at When We All Vote join us to talk about their efforts to mobilize voter registration, especially for young people, across the country. Over the past 12 years, Stephanie has worked in various communications roles ranging from TV newsrooms to non-profits, political campaigns, the United States Congress and President Obama’s White House. Launched by former First Lady Michelle Obama, When We All Vote sponsors voter registration drives in our regions and shares information about registering and voting with our families, alumni and students. KIPP is a proud partner with When We All Vote as this work is directly tied to our mission, to build a more just world together with our communities. We hope you enjoy the episode and subscribe to the KIPP On Learning Podcast to be alerted about new episodes.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people age 10-24 and LGBTQIA+ youth are 4x more likely to attempt suicide than their peers. This month, we are grateful to be joined by Keygan Miller, Public Training Manager at the Trevor Project - the world’s largest suicide prevention and mental health organization supporting LGBTQIA+ youth. Keygan oversees design and facilitation of public trainings to advance Trevor’s suicide prevention work and teaches audiences to be strong allies for LGBTQIA+ youth. Prior to this work, Keygan was an Advocacy Manager at The Trevor Project where they were responsible for researching and strategizing on policy initiatives impacting LGBTQ youth at local, state, and federal levels. For some, this topic may be deeply personal or triggering. If you or a young person you know are contemplating suicide, immediate support is available. Text START to 678-678 to be connected to a Trevor Project Counselor or dial 988 to be connected to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for free and confidential support.

How many of you have heard of the following court cases: Mendez v Westminster? Plyler v. Doe? Most of us know about the historic case Brown v Board of Education that ruled racial segregation in schools unconstitutional. In 1946, before the Brown decision, eight-year-old Sylvia Mendez was one of the children represented in the case Mendez v. Westminster when a group of Mexican American families in California won the very first federal court case ruling that the segregation of public schools was unconstitutional. A decision that paved the way for the Brown decision. This year also marks the 40th anniversary of Plyler v. Doe, when a group of undocumented Mexican families from Texas in 1982  argued and won their case in the Supreme Court, ensuring that children living in the U.S. without legal immigration documentation could access a public education. This case laid the groundwork for the DREAM Act and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program also known as DACA – both of which are essential today to thousands of children and young adults across the United States. This month we are delighted to welcome attorney, journalist, and television commentator Raul Reyes to talk more about the legacy of these historic cases, their impact, and the future of DACA.

This summer we hosted our second KIPP Alumni Summit in Washington, DC, with 300 alumni from around the country! In the span of three days, we were proud to offer 29 sessions focused on professional development, financial well-being, and mental health—nearly half led by KIPP alumni!  We are excited to share some of those session highlights as bonus content for the KIPP On Learning Podcast. Listen to this episode on Demystifying Tech: A Roadmap for a Successful Tech Career with guests Andrew Baines, Podcast Producer & Host of CuSTEM Journeys, Jerelyn Rodriquez, CEO of The Knowledge House, Joél Ramirez, Chief Technology officer at Quirk Chat, and Simone May, CTO and Co-Founder of Clutch. Panelists share their personal stories on how they got into tech, best practices on how to get into the industry, and what it takes to succeed. We hope you enjoy the content and if you want to learn more about our programs visit www.kipp.org/alumni

At KIPP we strive to be a community where every member of our team and family can authentically and proudly be who they are and who they want to be, every day of every month. As we honor PRIDE across KIPP this month, our hearts go out to teachers, leaders and young people who are in schools where new legislation prohibits them from using a curriculum or discussing topics of gender identity or sexual orientation. Joining us to talk about what we as educators can do to support our students’ freedom and well-being to live their full authentic selves is Melanie Willingham, Executive Director of GLSEN. Melanie Willingham-Jaggers (They/She), is the newly appointed Executive Director at GLSEN a national non-profit that works to ensure K-12 education is safe and affirming for all students, including LGBTQ+ youth. Before joining GLSEN, Melanie served as the Program Associate Director of The Worker Institute at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations. If you like what you hear, subscribe to get alerted about new episodes and visit www.kipp.org for job opportunities and information about our schools.

This month on the KIPP On Learning Podcast, we are honored to talk with Andrea Tecpoyotl, a Goldberg scholar who is a senior at the University of San Diego and an alum of KIPP San Diego. An activist, Andrea has spent considerable time advocating for DREAMers nationwide. She found her passion for activism when she advocated for the DREAM Act in Washington, D.C. During Andrea's time there, she met with Congress to push for legislation that would provide a permanent solution to protect DREAMers. Andrea's ultimate goal is to open a nonprofit organization that helps immigrants and the undocumented community. The Dave Goldberg Scholars Program honors the remarkable life and legacy of Dave Goldberg by providing exceptional KIPP graduates with financial support and mentorship throughout their college years. This annual scholarship is focused on assisting a new generation of diverse alumni to become the leaders of tomorrow. Learn more here. Listen to learn more about her incredible journey and her experience being a part of the first cohort graduating the Goldberg Scholars Program.