The Early Link Podcast

Children's Institute
  • 4.2 (10)
  • EDUCATION
  • UPDATED DAILY

The Early Link Podcast, brought to you by Children's Institute based in Portland, Oregon, highlights national, regional, and local voices working in the field of early care and education. Written, hosted, and produced by Rafael Otto.

  1. 08/13/2025

    Isabelle Hau asks "What if love—not flashcards—built the smartest brains?"

    What if love—not flashcards—built the smartest brains? Stanford’s Dr. Isabelle Howe is here with fresh insights on “relational intelligence,” why babies laugh eight times harder with a friend, and how junk tech is quietly choking your family dinners. We dig into France’s universal preschool, Head Start’s looming funding cliff, and the Sunday-night ritual that turns bedtime dread into disco therapy. Expect science, real-world inspiration, and hopeful ideas you’ll want to quote at your next parent-teacher night.

    57 min
  2. We All May Look Different, We All Still Belong: Families Embracing Anti-Bias Values

    12/18/2024

    We All May Look Different, We All Still Belong: Families Embracing Anti-Bias Values

    In this episode of The Early Link Podcast, host Rafael Otto chats with producer John Nimmo and parents Gabriel and Casey—contributors to the new film Families Embracing Anti-Bias Values. Together, they explore what it means to raise children who recognize, celebrate, and take pride in differences. They discuss the anxiety and hope of parenting in uncertain times, the power of acknowledging mixed-race identities within a family, and how everyday moments—from a “raise your hand” game at home to honest community dialogue—shape kids into empathetic, confident advocates for equity. This episode offers a warm, unvarnished look at how families are pushing back against fear and creating more inclusive, compassionate worlds alongside their children.

    35 min
  3. Dr. Stephanie Curenton Discusses Preschool for All Evaluation with a Racial Equity Framework

    11/14/2024

    Dr. Stephanie Curenton Discusses Preschool for All Evaluation with a Racial Equity Framework

    This episode of The Early Link Podcast features Dr. Stephanie Curenton, a professor at Boston University’s Wheelock College of Education and Human Development and the lead evaluator for Multnomah County’s Preschool for All program. Dr. Curenton brings her personal and professional expertise in early childhood development, emphasizing her passion for creating high-quality early learning experiences, influenced by her own time as a Head Start student. Dr. Curenton outlines the objectives of the Preschool for All program, which is now in its third year, with a racial equity framework built into its design. The program, offering more than 2,000 preschool slots for the 2024-2025 school year, aims to create equitable access to early learning opportunities for families throughout Multnomah County. She highlights the intentional efforts to reach children from diverse racial, ethnic, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, emphasizing that equity must extend beyond race to include ability, gender identity, and financial considerations. "What this mother said is nothing about us without us, and that was really this value of making sure that we center the voices of the children and families who are actually enrolled in this program and that they have a stake in this, and that they have access to all of this information to help learn and grow. I think for me, the responsibility as researchers that is placed upon us to make sure that we are sharing information and that we're telling the stories of the community in a way that is respectful, a way that is really honoring who they are and the values that they place around this, and what the community has invested."

    30 min
  4. Paula Hyatt on how Ashland Invests in Families, Kids, and the Economy

    11/14/2024

    Paula Hyatt on how Ashland Invests in Families, Kids, and the Economy

    In this episode of The Early Link Podcast, we explore what the city of Ashland, Oregon is doing to improve access to child care and early learning in the city and the region. Ashland is located in Southern Oregon, not far from the California border, and has a population of about 22,000 residents. It is known for being one of the best small towns in America and for the world-famous Oregon Shakespeare Festival. But in this interview, we'll raise some visibility for the work happening in the city to support young children and their families. Paula Hyatt, an Ashland city councilor, has taken a lead role in this work. With a background in finance and banking, national defense and healthcare, she's been keenly interested in the importance of a diversified economy and the need to bring people together to create solutions for kids and working families. "So why did the council do that? Why did we feel that that was a good use of our resources? It's largely because when you do these investments, you are investing in families, but you're also investing in your local economy. If you have folks who have quality care for their kids, they can pursue the employment they're seeking, they can pursue higher education, which in turn means there's a greater labor pool for folks to hire from, less turnover for employers. So, it tends to be symbiotic in that it helps the families, but it also helps our local business."

    33 min
  5. Nevin Van Manen on Community and Citizenship in Grants Pass

    11/13/2024

    Nevin Van Manen on Community and Citizenship in Grants Pass

    We visited Grants Pass, Oregon recently and spoke with Nevin Van Manen, the principal at Highland Elementary about school culture, and community, and what it means to be from Grants Pass, from Oregon, and from the United States. Special thanks to Adam Davis from Oregon Humanities for co-hosting this interview, and to the students and educators we've spoken with in Grants Pass who we've spoken with in recent months. Learn more about our work at childinst.org. "Citizenship is how we treat one another. It's how we are to each other, it's how we help each other. Even if I don't disagree, if you're need of help, I'm going to help you. For some of our kids who struggle with all the horrible things that people are going through like poverty, the hope is can we break that cycle somehow... can we break the cycle of feeling like you're just stuck in this."

    23 min
  6. Amplifying Student Voices: Rob Manning and Elizabeth Miller Discuss the Class of 2025

    10/08/2024

    Amplifying Student Voices: Rob Manning and Elizabeth Miller Discuss the Class of 2025

    "Something that we can all take away is: what do students need? What do young people need? What do they think is working in their school? What's not working? And hear from them and actually, and don't just give it lip service and say, 'student voice, student voice.' Like, what are the students saying? What are they voicing?" — Elizabeth Miller In this episode of The Early Link Podcast, host Rafael Otto speaks with Rob Manning and Elizabeth Miller from Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) about their groundbreaking long-term reporting project, the "Class of 2025." Started in 2013, the project follows a group of students from first grade through their anticipated high school graduation in 2025. Rob and Elizabeth share the origins of the project, sparked by then-Governor John Kitzhaber's ambitious goal of a 100% high school graduation rate by 2025. They discuss the challenges and rewards of following the same cohort of students over more than a decade, including building deep relationships with families and adapting to significant events like the COVID-19 pandemic. The conversation highlights compelling individual stories that shed light on broader issues within the education system, such as student engagement, resource allocation, and the critical importance of relationships between students and educators. They also reflect on shifting educational policies and goals, and what these mean for the students they've been following. As they approach the culmination of the project, Rob and Elizabeth consider its impact on their understanding of education in Oregon and the potential lessons for policymakers, educators, and the community at large.

    30 min
  7. Talking with Kids about Becoming

    09/04/2024

    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! In this episode, we asked young people at Slater Elementary School in Burns and Highland Elementary School in Grants Pass about how their schools, their towns, the state of Oregon, and the United States shape who they are. In the process, they told us about other places—other countries, states, towns, and schools—that have contributed to how they understand themselves and who they are becoming. You'll also hear from a few school administrators and parents about how places inform our ideas about ourselves. Thank you to everyone at Slater Elementary School and Highland Elementary School for welcoming us into their schools, especially the kids who shared their thoughts with us: Ripley, Jayden, Hazel, Sawyer, Stacy, Hanith, Harshine, Kegan, Cecil, Johnie, Kamden, Kellen, Penelope, Sawyer, Mikeal, Andi, Leiana, and Tucker. Special thanks to Adam Davis and the production team at Oregon Humanities for their work on this episode.

    56 min
  8. Exploring the World of Sound with Hayes Greenfield

    08/16/2024

    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. He is also an award-winning musician, film composer, and sound artist. He has been working with young people in many ways for the past 30 years, and that includes working as a teaching artist in public and private K-12 schools. He currently teaches at places like the National Head Start Association and the Global Childhood Academy. Tune in!

    34 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.2
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

The Early Link Podcast, brought to you by Children's Institute based in Portland, Oregon, highlights national, regional, and local voices working in the field of early care and education. Written, hosted, and produced by Rafael Otto.

Information

  • Creator
    Children's Institute
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2025
  • Episodes
    109
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    The Early Link Podcast