Big and Little Podcast

The latest installment in our Empathy at the Heart series takes a deep dive into parenting and artificial intelligence. Exploring beyond the headlines, our international panel of experts discussed the impact of AI on the emotional and everyday lives of kids and families. Panelists included: Joe Cox, President & CEO at Museum of Discovery and Science, Stephanie LeBlanc-Godfrey, CEO of Mother AI and Google's former Global Head of Inclusion for Women of Color, Dr. Silvia Lovato, Senior Director of Learning and Head of Research at PBS KIDS, and Dr. Nomisha Kurian, Assistant Professor, Dept. for Education Studies, University of Warwick. This webinar was chaired by Bill Shribman, owner of Chickens on the Roof LLC, and hosted by Boston Children's Museum. Originally recorded in August 2026.

In the second episode of the Museum's new podcast series on empathy, Boston Children's Museum President and CEO Carole Charnow sits down with Dr. Jim O'Connell, President of the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP). For nearly four decades, Dr. O'Connell has walked the streets of Boston, redefining what health care can look like. In addition to leading BHCHP, he serves as Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Board Chair of Winter Walk. In their conversation, Dr. O'Connell shares the unlikely path that led him to street medicine, the shelter nurses who taught him some of his most lasting lessons, and how his work has challenged common assumptions about homelessness. He also reflects on the power of community events like Winter Walk, where neighbors who are housed and unhoused walk side by side—breaking down stigma with every step. Learn more and sign up for the next Winter Walk at: https://winterwalk.org/

How do we define and express empathy? And how might we help the children (and adults) in our lives learn to practice it for themselves? In this podcast series, we'll be diving into all the different spokes on the wheel of empathy and what it looks like in action. Kicking off the series, Boston Children's Museum's Vice President of Programs and Exhibits Melissa Higgins sits down with Dr. Milena Batanova and Kiran Bhai from Making Caring Common, a national initiative based at the Harvard Graduate School of Education that's dedicated to promoting empathy and caring in schools, families, and communities. Together, we dive into what empathy really means for children—from the earliest signs in babies and toddlers to the powerful ways it shapes relationships, kindness, and even social justice. Discover science-backed strategies for nurturing compassion at home and in classrooms, hear real-world stories of empathy in action, and learn how families and educators can help children build the skills needed to care for others.

In this next episode of the Big & Little Podcast's Creativity Series, two music professionals dive into the transformative power of jazz music and its impact on children and communities. Vaughan Bradley-Willemann, lifelong Violinist and Boston Children's Museum's Senior Director of Arts and Social Impact, sits down with composer, professor, author, and conductor of the Jazz Urbane Collective, Dr. Bill Banfield, to uncover the magic that happens when young minds engage with the art of improvisation and musical expression. Discover how jazz music sparks children's imagination, the story and vision behind the Jazz Urbane Collective, tips for parents and caregivers on cultivating a love of music and the arts in their families, and more.

Bernie Zubrowski has dedicated his career to science education, both in and outside of the classroom. He has contributed to science curricula at the Education Development Center and designed numerous children's science books, exhibits, traveling exhibits during his time at Boston's Children's Museum, including Bubbles and Raceways. Beyond science education, Bernie has spent the last 25 years designing and exhibiting kinetic sculptures, continuing to inspire creativity and scientific exploration. In this next Creativity Series episode, Museum President and CEO Carole Charnow interviews Bernie about developing hands-on exhibits, kinetic sculptures, and art and science curriculum for children. Learn more about Bernie's work on his website: Bernie Zubrowski, his art website: Synchronizing Art and Science Projects, list of book publications, or on his YouTube.

In this fifth installment of our Creativity Series, Carole Charnow, the Museum's President and CEO interviews Ashleigh Gordon the co-founder, Artistic Director, and violist of Castle of our Skins, a Boston-based concert and educational series devoted to celebrating Black Artistry through music. Carole and Ashleigh discuss the intersections between music, education, and creative expression, the inspiration behind founding Castle of our Skins, and how to encourage musical exposure and exploration for children. Learn more about Castle of our Skins at: https://www.castleskins.org/what-is-coos.html

Today on the show, Boston Children's Museum President and CEO Carole Charnow interviews Dr. Mitchel Resnick in the next installment of our Creativity Series. Mitch Resnick is the LEGO Papert Professor of Learning Research at the MIT Media Lab and develops new technologies and activities to engage people (particularly children) in creative learning experiences. His Lifelong Kindergarten research group developed the Scratch programming software and online community, used by millions of young people around the world.  Carole talks with Mitch about his new project OctoStudio, the value of Kindergarten style learning, the 4 P's of Creative Learning, the relationship between technology and creative learning and more.

The Museum's Creativity Series continues with a conversation on the importance of connection, collaboration, and community. Through a grant from LEGO, called the LEGO Playful Learning Museum Network, institutions across the country were tasked with creating a community of practice that focused on playful learning Joining us today are three representatives from LEGO's community of practice who connected over a shared interest in Tinkering Inventive Playsets, Nick Villagra from the Connecticut Science Center, Michael Wong from the Exploratorium, and Brendan Takenaga from Boston Children's Museum. Tune in to learn about how a community of practice operates, where creativity exists in our work, the power of inspiration, half-baked ideas, open communication between peers, and more! Learn more about this partnership on the Exploratorium Blog. Or connect with our guests by emailing Nick at [email protected], Michael at [email protected], or Brendan at [email protected].

The Children's Art Museum of India, or CAMI for short, is an online platform and virtual Museum space that enables young artists to submit their art and share their creativity worldwide. Manya and Krish founded CAMI in 2022 when they were 14 and 12 years old, respectively. Since then, the two have been working tirelessly to create and expand CAMI's reach and continue to carve out this important space for children's creativity. What began as a local initiative for Indian children to share their art has since grown into an increasingly global movement. Today on the show, Carole Charnow, the Museum's President and CEO, talks with Manya and Krish about founding CAMI, the unique benefits of an online Museum space, and how to engage and inspire kids to be creative through art. Learn more about CAMI at: https://www.childrensartmuseumofindia.com/

We're bringing some creative exploration to the podcast with a special Creativity Series! Our first guest, Laura Petrovich-Cheney, is an artist, maker, educator, and the Museum's current Gallery artist. Her exhibit, Weathered Shapes, Wooden Quilts brings together the traditional crafts of wood sculpture and quilt making to show the potential of rebuilding and hope. In today's episode the Museum's President and CEO Carole Charnow talks with Laura about the inspiration behind her art, the key components of creativity, and advice for parents, caregivers, and educators! Learn more about Laura on her website: https://www.lauracheney.com/