Random Acts of Knowledge

Random Acts of Knowledge

5.0 (3)
EDUCATION

Heartland Community College presents Random Acts of Knowledge, a podcast where we explore the worlds of continuing education. The goal of each episode is to learn something new. No matter the topic, we'll pick up some random knowledge from experts who can give us a short and interesting lesson about their field.

JAN 5

Navigating the barriers of reentry after incarceration

Resources for individuals who are leaving prison are available but many incarcerated people have no idea what is really waiting for them on the other side. Support for formerly incarcerated people extends beyond just navigating the rules of release but also includes a change of mindset, according to Toy Beasley, with the Illinois Coalition to End Permanent Punishments. View the transcript here.

17 min
12/01/2025

Heartland Q&A: Whitney Rapp

Whitney Rapp is Director of the Electric Vehicle Career Pathway Program at Heartland Community College. One of the projects Whitney works on is to promote the Certified Manufacturing Associate Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program. This program consists of students completing modules that are set to be completed throughout a 5-week time span. During this time, students learn the basic skills needed to be able to work in the manufacturing field. The program also prepares students for a career at Rivian Automotive and other manufacturers. View the transcript here.

14 min
09/17/2025

The ongoing case of Jamie Snow

Jamie Snow is in prison, convicted in 2001 for the 1991 shooting of a gas station attendant, William Little, in Bloomington, IL.For the last several years, a diverse group of people who learned the details of Snow’s case and found troubling elements in his trial have been advocating for his release.In this episode, Snow’s daughter and a former juror on the trial of a co-defendant are joined by an advocate who has devoted years of her life to freeing Snow.They discuss the irregularities they uncovered in the investigation and prosecution of Jamie Snow and the personal impact the case has had on their lives.View the transcript here.

34 min
06/25/2025

Learning Dungeons & Dragons

In an age with long-form videogaming, the appeal of Dungeons & Dragons might not seem apparent to some. But unleashing creativity and storytelling with a little teamwork and a handful of dice takes players to places not found on video screens. An instructor who introduces prospective game players to the role-playing game talks about what drew her to D&D and explains what is needed to get started creating adventures from nearly nothing. View the episode transcript here.

24 min
05/22/2025

Connecting Greek Mythology to the modern classroom

What does the story of Medusa have to do with the Me Too movement? How does the Hercules depicted by Disney differ from the hero celebrated in 900 BCE? Heartland Community College Outstanding Faculty of the Year Tom McCulley is teaching Greek Mythology not only to college students but also to adult learners and middle school kids. He says that the stories of ancient Greece resonate in surprising ways to a modern audience. View the episode transcript here.

22 min
05/13/2025

COUNTRY Financial Scholars get jump on college at Heartland

Dual Credit programs, such as the College NOW program at Heartland Community College, offer not only an early opportunity for students in high school to gain college credits, but they also offer a pathway for students to transform their lives. Three high-achieving students who were selected in the COUNTRY Financial Scholars program discuss how access to early college set them up for success. View the episode transcript here.

24 min
04/07/2025

Politics and Parole: Ronnie Carrasquillo spent 47 years in prison

Ronnie Carrasquillo spent nearly half a century in prison. Sentenced in 1977, Carrasquillo first sought parole in 1984 and went before the board over 30 times before finally gaining release in October of 2023. Carrasquillo talks about his initial sentence of 200-600 years, growing up in prison, and his multiple appearances before the parole board. View the episode transcript here.

26 min
10/02/2024

Lincoln's Lost Speech

In May 29, 1856, Abraham Lincoln gave the keynote address at a political convention in Bloomington, IL. His remarks were called, by his law partner William Herndon, “the grand effort of Lincoln’s Life.” Today, no written copy of this speech exists. And some differ on what it was Lincoln said. Historian Bill Kemp discusses the "lost speech" and offers up some theories as to how it got that way. View the transcript here.

36 min

5

out of 5

3 Ratings

Heartland Community College presents Random Acts of Knowledge, a podcast where we explore the worlds of continuing education. The goal of each episode is to learn something new. No matter the topic, we'll pick up some random knowledge from experts who can give us a short and interesting lesson about their field.

Creator

Random Acts of Knowledge
Years Active

2018 - 2026
Episodes

132
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© all commercial rights reserved, Heartland Community College.
Show Website

Random Acts of Knowledge