Episodes

Send us Fan Mail Jena Melancon, Founder and Executive Director of Gulf Coast Diplomacy Council is ushering in new perspectives for Escambia County students. In this episode she shares how the non-profit is facilitating communication & connection. Guest: Jena Melancon Vote for Voices United in Education as "Best Podcast" 2026 in InWeekly's Best on the Coast! https://form.jotform.com/261185754425158 This helps connect local families with the resources they need & the stories that get missed. L...

Send us Fan Mail Ever considered becoming a mentor to a child? Karen Kellams, a full-time executive and mom, and Natalie Stipkovich, a full-time college student, share why they did and the joy it has brought to them. Hear how being there for one hour every week has changed their lives and their mentees lives forever. Guests: Karen Kellams & Natalie Stipkovich, Big Brothers Big Sisters Vote for Voices United in Education as "Best Podcast" 2026 in InWeekly's Best on the Coast! ...

Send us Fan Mail Life is full of teaching moments and too often missed milestones as a result of poverty. Jennifer Collins, Principal at Sherwood Elementary talks about how the All Kid's Bike program teaches kindergarteners lasting life lessons—independence, balance, safety, compassion, resilience and success. You’ll also hear what it was like for Sherwood to be one of the two schools in Escambia county chosen by the foundation to receive a donation funded by the local branch of HDR Engineeri...

Send us Fan Mail West Florida High School graduates & twin brothers, Jamal & Jamari sharp are entrepreneurs, authors and philanthropists. But it wasn’t always this way. Jamal shares how the two went from problem students to success stories, why they decided to call their snoball business BAM & what it means for them to be Pensacola business owners. For these two, it's truly a snowball effect. Purchase Unleash your Inner Hero today. Guest: Jamal Sharp Vote for Voices United in Ed...

Send us Fan Mail Principal, Dr. Kimberly Thomas and Barbara Hayes, a Pensacola High School graduate and pediatrics nurse with Community Health Northwest Florida, share how the Health Ambassadors program in the community clinic at CA Weiss is empowering 3-5 graders. Outfitted in scrubs and lab coats, the program is inspiring a new generation of leaders and professions in the field of healthcare. Guests: Dr. Kimberly Thomas & Barbara Hayes Vote for Voices United in Education as "Best Podcas...

Send us Fan Mail Escambia Children’s Trust is one of 13 unique government agencies that assign a portion of property taxes to local non-profits that support the needs of the community based on what the community says they need. In this episode, Executive Director, Tammy Greer shares results of the most recent needs assessment & how you can be heard. Guest: Tammy Greer Vote for Voices United in Education as "Best Podcast" 2026 in InWeekly's Best on the Coast! https://form.jotform.com/26118...

Send us Fan Mail Pensacola Code Ninjas owner JoDawn Brown noticed a huge change in her child’s academic performance after learning to code. In this episode, she talks about why learning to code isn’t just for gamers, how coding could set your kid up for employment & how their summer camp or after school programs could be a haven for technologically creative and curious kids. Guest: JoDawn Brown Vote for Voices United in Education as "Best Podcast" 2026 in InWeekly's Best on the Coast! htt...

Send us Fan Mail District Data Scientist, James Bobbitt, breaks down what the new state grading scales will mean for Escambia County Public Schools. Guest: James Bobbitt Vote for Voices United in Education as "Best Podcast" 2026 in InWeekly's Best on the Coast! https://form.jotform.com/261185754425158 This helps connect local families with the resources they need & the stories that get missed. Learn more about Escambia County School District: https://www.escambiaschools.org/ Find additional ...

Send us Fan Mail Arelia Laster is a former quality nurse at Sacred Heart & the current Director at Next Step Distribution, a non-profit providing emergency support supplies within 24 hours of crisis. In this episode, she shares the origin of this grass roots effort, how she collaborates with Escambia County Public Schools & how you can help or be helped. Guest: Arelia Laster Vote for Voices United in Education as "Best Podcast" 2026 in InWeekly's Best on the Coast! https://form.jotfor...

Send us Fan Mail Angela McFarland is a business & multimedia teacher at West Florida High School & the 2024 Teacher of Year for Escambia County Public Schools! Learn how she inspires her students, what students inspire her & what makes this 26-year career educator such a deserving person for this award. Guest: Angela McFarland Vote for Voices United in Education as "Best Podcast" 2026 in InWeekly's Best on the Coast! https://form.jotform.com/261185754425158 This helps connect loca...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. KK Owen with the Huron Studer Group explains one way Escambia County Public Schools reaches out to give parents a voice in their child's education by rating how we're doing. Guest: Dr. KK Owen Vote for Voices United in Education as "Best Podcast" 2026 in InWeekly's Best on the Coast! https://form.jotform.com/261185754425158 This helps connect local families with the resources they need & the stories that get missed. Learn more about Escambia County School Distri...

Send us Fan Mail From rotations to ride-a-longs, this is as real as it gets. Instructor Terry Thomas and graduate Dakota Ward openly discuss the riggers and rewards of the Critical Care & Emergency Medicine Academy at West Florida High School. Guest: Terry Thomas & Dakota Ward Vote for Voices United in Education as "Best Podcast" 2026 in InWeekly's Best on the Coast! https://form.jotform.com/261185754425158 This helps connect local families with the resources they need & the stories tha...

Send us Fan Mail When it comes to the success of every student, we're all in. That means taking every step possible to keep our kids safe at school. Director of Protection Services, Kyle Kinser, covers what all that means. You’ll hear how the new Centegix system & the Aaron Feiss guardian program cover use technology & humanity to keep our kids safe. Guest: Kyle Kinser Vote for Voices United in Education as "Best Podcast" 2026 in InWeekly's Best on the Coast! https://form.jotform.com/...

Send us Fan Mail Not all learning happens in the classroom. The Great Outdoors is a pretty great teacher. National Park Rangers Jennifer Watson & Cas Rosiecki share how fourth graders and their families can get free access all our National Parks. Get your free parks pass now. Guest: Cas Rosiecki & Jennifer Watson Vote for Voices United in Education as "Best Podcast" 2026 in InWeekly's Best on the Coast! https://form.jotform.com/261185754425158 This helps connect local families with th...

Send us Fan Mail Do you know where your food comes from? You do if you're an FFA member or taking an AG class with Leanne Jenkins at Beulah Middle School. In this episode, she talks about the how the AG program inspired her as a student & how it’s helping kids & supporting our community. Learn more about Future Farmers of America in Florida today. Guest: Leanne Jenkins Vote for Voices United in Education as "Best Podcast" 2026 in InWeekly's Best on the Coast! https://form.jotfor...

Send us Fan Mail Reading and writing go together like chips and salsa. For Alexander Fitzgerald, teaching creative writing is equally delicious, but goes deeper than a playful food metaphor. In this episode, he shares how he transformed from a slow reading student who hated reading, to becoming a creative writing teacher who reads philosophy for fun as well has the three problems creative writing solves: apathy to learn, lack of follow through & relationship disconnect. Guest: Alexander F...

Send us Fan Mail Many performance-based scholarships revolve around sports, which can often take a toll on academic performance. Christina Frierdich is the orchestra director at Washington, Pine Forest & Escambia High schools. In this episode she shares how music scholarships can provide college scholarships AND improve student performance on standardized testing. She also shares her family tie with Pensacola string music history & its lasting impact on kids. Guest: Christina Frierdic...

Send us Fan Mail Claire Frear, military spouse and teacher, shares her perspective on the unique needs of students with active duty family members & what specific resources are in place for them at Escambia High. Guest: Claire Frear Vote for Voices United in Education as "Best Podcast" 2026 in InWeekly's Best on the Coast! https://form.jotform.com/261185754425158 This helps connect local families with the resources they need & the stories that get missed. Learn more about Escambia County Sch...

Send us Fan Mail For many students with an IEP, their full potential can only be accessed outside of the traditional school framework. Donna Perry is the program specialist & Dr. Jared Stanley is the administrator on special assignment at Hope Horizon, a center school that works with students & families individually to find holistic solutions. In this episode they share what students are best served at Hope Horizon & the services they provide. Guests: Donna Perry & Dr. Jared S...

Send us Fan Mail Tristan Harris is the coach for Escambia county’s Allstar Academic Team, a place where kids with drive & book smarts can gain a sense of community & competition. She proudly and passionately nerds out about how Escambia County students are winning by working together and scoring so much more than points as she explains how this trivia style tournament team is making a difference for students in Escambia County. Guest: Tristan Harris Vot...

Send us Fan Mail Zac Stefanko is the welding instructor at Pensacola High School, where they were recently awarded a grant for the program that is giving students a way to cut through and seal together a career in welding and other trades. Guest: Zac Stefanko Vote for Voices United in Education as "Best Podcast" 2026 in InWeekly's Best on the Coast! https://form.jotform.com/261185754425158 This helps connect local families with the resources they need & the stories that get missed. Learn mor...

Send us Fan Mail This isn't your dad's shop class. Learn how boys and girls at Ernest Ward Middle School are certified in engineering and equipped with the skills and knowledge to thrive in industry and emerging technologies. Guests: Tyvanna Boulanger & Ray Sellers Vote for Voices United in Education as "Best Podcast" 2026 in InWeekly's Best on the Coast! https://form.jotform.com/261185754425158 This helps connect local families with the resources they need & the stories ...

Send us Fan Mail No one will argue the roles teachers play in the lives of our children and the future of our country. The need and openings for teachers couldn't be greater. Melia Adams discusses a career in education and recruiting the right people for a job that impacts so many and means so much? Guest: Melia Adams Vote for Voices United in Education as "Best Podcast" 2026 in InWeekly's Best on the Coast! https://form.jotform.com/261185754425158 This helps connect local families with the r...

Send us Fan Mail Tapping kids full potential. Kristin Fairchild, founder and executive director of Chain Reaction focuses on giving our children the perspective and soft skills to succeed globally. Guest: Kristin Fairchild Vote for Voices United in Education as "Best Podcast" 2026 in InWeekly's Best on the Coast! https://form.jotform.com/261185754425158 This helps connect local families with the resources they need & the stories that get missed. Learn more about Escambia County School Distri...