Better Kids Better World

There are 5 very human needs we are all seeking to satisfy -- both our young people and the adults who guide them.

What if we helped people identify the needs they share with 99.99% of humanity?

How do we weigh the bad in good people and the good in bad people?

Justin welcomes Paul Goren, Director for Northwestern University's Center for Education Efficacy, Effectiveness and Equity.

Paul is a life-long educator who has worked at the intersection of education practice, policy and research. Most recently he was superintendent of schools for Evanston/Skokie District 65. He currently directs a center focused on producing usable knowledge at the Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy.

Justin's favorite antectode from the podcast:

Paul, whose mother was a teacher on the far south side of Chicago, would very affectionately and very proudly call Paul and say, "Oh, Mr. Inside the Beltway Fancypants, what have you done for us today?" Meaning teachers, principals, social workers, folks in the front line.  

No doubt influenced by a loving and supportive mother who worked on the front lines of American education, Paul has dedicated his life to being that authentic bridge between thoughtful, research-based policies and practical execution by teachers.

Guest:  Dr. Michael Allen

As a school principal at Oakton Elementary School near Chicago, Dr. Allen recognized the huge need for reading materials that depict young Black boys in a manner that is authentic and relatable as well as positive and life-affirming. Named the 2020 Elementary Principal of the Year (North Cook Region) by the Illinois Principals Association, Dr. Allen tirelessly advocates to end policies that hold students of color down and replace them with trauma-informed practices, equity, emotional intelligence and mindfulness in schools. To that end, Dr. Allen recently founded Wholistic Equity (WE) Leadership Consulting, where he empowers and equips educators, administrators, and all types of leadership teams to center racial consciousness in their work.

We hope you enjoy :)

Guest:  Alisha Bacchus

As a first year teacher who joined the profession in the midst of the pandemic, Alisha had to hit the ground running. Certified in English as a Second/Other Language she has instructed students in kindergarten through 4th grade, in addition to working as an executive assistant.

Alisha shares how difficult it has been for her students to learn both english and the core curriculum during the pandemic.

As a second generation immigrant (Guyana), Alisha can empathize with the struggle her students will likely face as they form their identities within American culture.

We hope you enjoy!

My son was a straight A student for 3 straight quarters this school year.  Then I got a 4th quarter progress report with four F's on it.

I responded by sending my son 3 classic "Dad" texts:

1.  "Hey what's going on in science?"
2.  screenshot of F grades circled in red
3.  "Please call me when you are free."

The reply was unexpected and jarring.

I hope you find this short episode valuable and thought provoking.

You can reach me at:  justin@blaze.school 

Justin welcome his oldest brother, Jason Lyons, to the podcast.  

Jason is a proud father of 3 girls, as well as a graduate of the University of Notre Dame & Northwestern's Kellogg MBA program.

For the past several years, Jason and his wife have chosen to home school and/or alternative school their children.  Jason discusses why he chose this learning path and how it still has a long way to go to be within mainstream reach. 

While reflecting on getting in trouble as kids,  Jason shares the memory of how how one method of childhood discipline ended when the ping pong paddle broke on his butt.

How many kids get left behind?  

How many beautifully talented & multidimensional kids are we apathetically shoving through uniformly designed square holes.

With so many islands and chiefs in education, is surprise so many kids struggle with their Identity?

The most valuable asset a child has is a healthy, strong & balanced sense of self.

This identity is the story they form of themselves, each hour of each day.

This podcast explores the struggle to secure identity in American education.

Blaze founder, Justin Lyons, discusses the need for critical thinking in the context of mainstream positivity and faith movements.

justin@blaze.tech

Justin welcomes Brooke Murphy-Roothaan, an Evanston, IL mother of 2 children - one in middle school and another in high school.

Brooke's life has been turned upside down and inside out this past several months due to an unexpected, and still pending, divorce.   Instead of letting sadness and anger define her, Brooke has chosen to discover what an authentic life means to her and how she can positively contribute to the world around her.  

One passion Brooke cares deeply about is mental health.  Well versed and well traveled in her journey for knowledge, Brooke seeks to continue that journey and bring others along with her.

Justin chats with Jerry Marshall, a lifelong Evanston, IL resident.  Jerry is a coach, ordained deacon, community volunteer and devoted father of 4 children, including two middle school kids. 

Diagnosed over 20 years ago with a rare disease that primarily impacts African Americans, Jerry lost sight in one eye in his 20's and is currently in need of a kidney transplant.    With a blood type of "b positive",  Jerry faces a waiting list of over 7 years.   

Despite a lifetime of adversity, Jerry remains positive, committed to his faith, and devoted to selflessly giving his time and energy to lifting up the youth of Evanston.

Justin reflects on the recent death of Juice Wrld and the double edged sword of hit songs about addiction and pain.  

A question posed:  what can Juice Wrld's life and death teach our young kids?

Justin reflects on recent news:   drunk priest in a fatal hit and run;  a young victim of a police shootout; a mom high at a kid's birthday party.

The question posed:  how and when exactly does the shining light of a child become extinguished?

In this episode, Justin welcome Brandon Stiller.  Brandon is a top teacher at a leading high school in the nation, the founder of a booming science and ACT prep tutoring business and a graduate of Cal Berkley's Masters of Education Science program.   He's also a proficient DJ, once opening for the Roots back in the "early days".

Topics include:  how critical it is to build confidence in our youth, the power of connecting with students, the benefit of breaking big concepts into smaller chunks, and why he became an early believer and adopter of Blaze.

We hope you enjoy....

In this episode, Miles and Gabe return to discuss one thing they have in common:  being mixed race in Evanston, IL.  

With so much focus on race, racial history and racism in their educational experience, Miles and Gabe discuss learning about the extreme wrongs whites have done to African Americans and how it often leaves them torn with competing negative emotions:  shame and anger.  

In this episode, Justin welcomes Gabe and Miles - two 6th grade students new to middle school.   

Topics include:  what makes a good (and bad) teacher, what the first day of middle school is like, why kids are mean and why some 6th graders behave so differently between 5th and 6th grade?

In this short episode - Justin and his 11 year old son, Miles, reflect on the impact of John Lennon during difficult times.  

Miles discusses the what John Lennon means to him, shares a moment of deep concern for his Dad and offers advice to other Dads going through difficult times.

We hope you enjoy...

Justin delivers a short, solo podcast in his return to the mic.   Despite challenging times,  Justin always returns to his WHY to maintain his unwaverying commitment to Blaze.   It's about the kids.   In unusually raw form, Justin shares his perspective on WHY our kids need a solution like Blaze more than every.   

Slow down * Reflect * Connect

Blaze Founder & CEO, Justin Lyons, welcomes Ryan Fischer. Ryan is the Founder & President of 20 Spokes, a software development agency in Chicago, IL. Ryan is also a father of a 3 year old girl with a baby boy on the way! 20 Spokes is the software development agency behind the development of the Blaze Family and Blaze School web application. In this podcast, Justin and Ryan will discuss the pitfalls many new tech entrepreneurs fall into such as over-engineering and over-spending on their software concept vs. building a more simplified and affordable version (otherwise known as an MVP). MVP’s allow users to provide authentic and relevant feedback that is critical to the the evolution of a product roadmap.

Topics discussed include: 

The naivety and dreaming that new entrepreneurs fall victim to; how caring about a client’s project/vision is a real differentiator in software development; the discipline around identifying the most essential assumption (feature) of a product and validating it in the fastest, most cost effective way possible; how product designs don’t raise investor dollars - it’s a working prototype with engaged users and a plan for revenue; when too much money to spend can actually kill a great product idea; how Blaze serves as a guide to help busy parents prioritize quality time with their kids.

Blaze Founder & CEO, Justin Lyons, welcomes Allen Washington.  Allen has two beautiful boys ages 5 and almost 2.  Allen and his brother co founded The Future Kingz, a Chicago dance crew that competed for the Semifinals on Season 13 of America’s Got Talent.  Currently Allen is leading KNVS House, a startup that offers young people a multi-dimensional, creative learning environment while also providing life skills education.

*Topics discussed include:*

How Allen’s mother, a single Mom, instilled core life skills in Allen and his brother; the need to build work ethic and confidence in our creative young people; the incredible privilege it is to be a father, even if you’re first child arrives when you’re 15; raising black boys in modern America; the need for empathy and optimism in the face of bias; how hating those with different political views is the wrong approach; why empowering kids to self-manage their own personal growth is the key to their future success. 

Blaze Founder & CEO, Justin Lyons, welcomes Larry Morrissey.  Larry and his wife have 4 wonderful children ranging in age from 6 to 20.  Larry was the mayor of Rockford, IL from 2005 to 2017. With nearly 150,000 residents, Rockford is the largest city in Illinois outside of the Chicago metro area.

Prior to being mayor for 12 years, Larry ran and lost an election to be mayor in 2001.  He discusses his resilience to run in 2004 (and win!) as a combination of two critical factors: how he overcame family adversity both as a child and a parent; and his ability to establish a clear vision, passion and sense of purpose towards transforming the lives of all Rockford residents.

Topics discussed include:

Humanizing our most disadvantaged citizens; transforming your adversities into purpose-driven missions; the power of empathy in politics; key characteristics to being resilient; structural inequity in our cities;  what an alcoholism recovery program can teach us about redemption, spirituality and optimism;  how we can’t let excellence and achievement be defined by an educational system that fails to personalize learning to the individual child. 

Blaze Founder & CEO, Justin Lyons, welcomes Frankie Fabre of Fabre Media to his show.  Frankie is Justin’s podcast producer, content creator and social media manager.  More than that, Frankie is a mixed race millennial who grew up in a two parent household and is deeply passionate about giving kids what they need in the modern world.

*Topics discussed include:*

Why American adults spend $10 billion per year on self-improvement but rarely do we find any of those tools available to kids in K-12; recent deep personal pain Justin is managing through and how he’s maintaining focus and connection to his true purpose during this adversity; the risks of not connecting with your kids on a deeper level; and the power of empowering kids to drive their own experiential learning.

Building strong relationships with your Children.

In this Episode of "Better Kids, Better World" - Justin Lyons, CEO of Blaze, discusses parenting in the modern world with Rima - the owner and founder of "Wild Child Healing".  Justin and Rima talk about feeling guilty at times as parents, learning to say sorry, how our kids become like us, and how our close relationship with them can make being a flawed parent not such a bad thing. 

Building the right habits and skills in your kids.

In the episode, Blaze Founder & CEO, Justin Lyons, leads a discussion around building positive habits and skills in both children and parents.

Ryan Bond, father of 2 and leader of digital consumer products at Encyclopedia Brittanica, joins Justin for a wide ranging discussion.  Topics include awkward conversations, preparing kids for the future unknown, and finding time to be more present in the digitally distracted world.

What you see & hear isn't always reality

In this podcast Justin Lyons CEO of Blaze Family App sits down with his 5th grade son to discuss his life and the things he has learned through his own experiences as a child. 

Good Day Blaze Family! Today marks the release of our first Podcast. We are  so excited to share with you stories and experiences from parents and  children from all over. Today’s Podcast deals with leading by example  and dealing with common things as parents such as raising our children  in these technological times. On this podcast you will hear a discussion  between Justin Lyons CEO of blaze and the wonderful Cortney. Enjoy and feel free to comment your experiences.