Hidden Treasures of Our Town

Ms. Uribe's 5th graders at Ruth K. Broad K-8

In this special 5-episode podcast series, the students in Ms. Uribe's 5th-grade class at Ruth K. Broad Bay Harbor K-8 in Bay Harbor Islands, Florida, turn into local historians. "Hidden Treasures of Our Town" explores the forgotten stories, landmarks, and extraordinary people that make our community unique. These students have dug through archives and uncovered the "treasures" that most people walk past every day. This project was researched, written, and recorded by students: Mikaela Alarcon-Rojas, Rinat Arutiunov, Ezekiel Culbreth, Lillian Dattilo, Ty Fidelis,, Emily Flores, Ilan Koren, Nicolas Kusnier, Paloma Laszlo, William Makselis, Matteo Marzano, Noam Moya, Aaron Pinto, Lukas Sanchez, Sol Schwartz, Noemi Staron, Andrew Stolar, Nicolas Sussman-Posso, Amelia Vorostsova, Sofya Yeshchanka, Aditya Singh, and their teacher Monica Uribe Podcast Production Assistant: Zoey Ader-Zabielins This project was made possible through grant funding from the Shepard Broad Foundation and the RKBBH PTA.

Episodes

  1. The Surf Club

    Mar 18

    The Surf Club

    Step back in time to 1930 with the crew of Hidden Treasures of our Town! In this episode, Noemi, Nicolas, Sol, and Paloma uncover the glittering (and slightly rebellious) history of the legendary Surf Club in Miami Beach. From its Great Depression-era origins to its modern-day 5-star transformation, we’re exploring how a "tire guy" created the ultimate fairytale playground for the world's biggest stars. Special Segment: The kids sit down with world-renowned architect Kobi Karp to ask the tough questions about preserving "spooky" secret paths while building for the future.

    9 min
  2. Sad but Strong: The Surfside Story

    Mar 18

    Sad but Strong: The Surfside Story

    In the early hours of June 24, 2021, the Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, Florida, suddenly collapsed, changing building safety forever. In this episode, Matteo, Ezekiel, Ilan, Adtiyaram,and Noam explore the devastating event and the massive federal investigation that followed. Join us as we examine how a community’s resilience and a rigorous search for the truth are preventing future disasters five years later. Special Guest: Kobi Karp We are honored to be joined by world-renowned architect Kobi Karp, a leading voice in Miami’s architectural landscape. With his deep expertise in both historic preservation and modern high-rise design, Kobi joins us to discuss the technical evolution of building safety since 2021.

    9 min
  3. Ancient Footprints

    Mar 16

    Ancient Footprints

    Take a deep dive into the history of Bay Harbor Islands, Bal Harbour, and Surfside. In this episode, Ty, Emily, Lillian, Nicolas, Mikaela, and Patton brave the Florida humidity to uncover the "original Florida Men," the Tequesta Tribe. From dugout canoes carved with shark teeth to the mysterious Miami Circle, we explore how ancient locals lived on a "keto" diet of manatees and moved to the Keys just to dodge mosquitoes.

    4 min
  4. From Soldiers to Shoppers

    Mar 11

    From Soldiers to Shoppers

    Episode 02: From Soldiers to Shopping Welcome to Hidden Treasures of Our Town! In this episode, your hosts Adityaram, Rinat, Aaron and William take you on a journey through the surprising history of Bal Harbour, Florida. Once a military training ground and prisoner-of-war camp, this area has transformed into one of the world's most luxurious shopping and residential destinations. The team is joined by Randy Whitman, the eldest owner of the shopping center, who shares personal stories of growing up on the property.

    7 min
  5. The Man Who Built an Island

    Mar 6

    The Man Who Built an Island

    Hidden Treasures of Our Town Episode 1: The Man Who Built an Island What if your neighborhood was literally made by hand? In this premiere episode, Sofya, Andrew, Amelia and Lukas 5th-grade students of Ruth K Broad K-8 in Bay Harbor, Florida uncover the incredible story of Shepard Broad the visionary who transformed a mangrove swamp into the town of Bay Harbor Islands. We are joined by a very special guest, Debrah Bussel, Shepard Broad’s granddaughter, to hear the real stories behind her grandfather’s journey from a penniless immigrant to the man who built their town.

    58 min
  • 5 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

About

In this special 5-episode podcast series, the students in Ms. Uribe's 5th-grade class at Ruth K. Broad Bay Harbor K-8 in Bay Harbor Islands, Florida, turn into local historians. "Hidden Treasures of Our Town" explores the forgotten stories, landmarks, and extraordinary people that make our community unique. These students have dug through archives and uncovered the "treasures" that most people walk past every day. This project was researched, written, and recorded by students: Mikaela Alarcon-Rojas, Rinat Arutiunov, Ezekiel Culbreth, Lillian Dattilo, Ty Fidelis,, Emily Flores, Ilan Koren, Nicolas Kusnier, Paloma Laszlo, William Makselis, Matteo Marzano, Noam Moya, Aaron Pinto, Lukas Sanchez, Sol Schwartz, Noemi Staron, Andrew Stolar, Nicolas Sussman-Posso, Amelia Vorostsova, Sofya Yeshchanka, Aditya Singh, and their teacher Monica Uribe Podcast Production Assistant: Zoey Ader-Zabielins This project was made possible through grant funding from the Shepard Broad Foundation and the RKBBH PTA.

Information

  • Creator
    Ms. Uribe's 5th graders at Ruth K. Broad K-8
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © MU 2026
  • Show Website
    Hidden Treasures of Our Town