The Early Link Podcast
The Early Link Podcast highlights national, regional, and local voices working in early childhood education and the nonprofit sector. The podcast is written, hosted, and produced by Rafael Otto, Children’s Institute’s director of communications.
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The Latest
Talking with Kids About Becoming
This co-production, in partnership with The Detour at Oregon Humanities, is part of an ongoing series to elevate youth voice. What do kids think about identity and becoming? Tune in to find out!
Exploring the World of Sound with Hayes Greenfield
Can you imagine a world without sound? Can you imagine a classroom of young learners exploring sound to spark creativity, learning, and play? In this segment, host Rafael Otto talks with Hayes Greenfield, the founder of Creative Sound Play, a sound-based, generative learning system for preschool students and teachers.Tune in and share!
The Power of Inclusive Classrooms at Gilbert Creek Child Development Center
In this episode, host Rafael Otto visits Grants Pass, Oregon, to talk with Shannon Bilbao and Susan Peck from Gilbert Creek Child Development Center. They discuss why inclusive classrooms are so valuable for the healthy development of all children and share examples of what they see in their classrooms. Tune in and share!
An Ecosystem of Care and Community with Adriane Blackman
In the latest episode of the Early Link Podcast, the Children’s Institute communications team records a long-form story by CI Guest Contributor, Adriane Blackman. Blackman’s story, “An Ecosystem of Care and Community,” delves into the transformation of early childhood education in Yoncalla, Oregon, documenting the impact of CI’s Early Works initiative in partnership with incredible folks from across the community.
The Detour, Ep. 4: Talking about Belonging with Kids
Our most recent episode is a co-production of the Oregon Humanities podcast, The Detour. The theme of this segment is belonging, and we talked with students at Fern Hill Elementary School in Forest Grove and Crestview Heights Elementary in Waldport about where they feel they belong and how to help others feel like they belong.
Youth Organized and United to Help: A Conversation with Y.O.U.TH Founder, Imani Muhammad
In this episode of the Early Link Podcast, host Rafael Otto speaks with Imani Muhammad, a longtime youth advocate and community organizer in Portland, Oregon. She is the founder and executive director of Y.O.U.TH, which stands for Youth Organized and United to Help.