Talking Points

Walmart associate Ann says c'mon down, we'll fix you right up

Earlier this summer we met Ann Brooks and Renee Hitchcock who are associates at the Walmart in Ashland, Kentucky. Like any Walmart associate, their days are spent making sure customers have a good experience while shopping in their store. But over the course of the last several months, they’ve also become social media influencers.  To build awareness for seasonal merchandise or weekly specials, Renee gets behind the camera while Ann will share with the store’s 28,000 followers on it’s Facebook page [https://www.facebook.com/Walmart2638] what they need to know and invites them to "come on down." What started out as a project to have fun with the customers has grown into something quite special. In fact, Renee recently informed me that one of their videos has reached more than 5 million views. Renee, Ann and the Ashland Walmart store manager Bradley Bartley join us to talk about their social media adventure.

A New School Year Begins at Missouri Connections Academy

The faculty and staff at Missouri Connections Academy, a statewide, tuition-free, online school recently welcomed new and returning students in grades K through 12 for the 2024-2025 academic year – it’s fifth since it opened in 2020.   Virtual school is a great fit for a variety of students and each student is unique. Those who attend Missouri Connections Academy come from different backgrounds and choose full-time online school for various reasons. Some students prefer to take ownership of their education and benefit from the flexibility that virtual school offers, while others are looking for a consistent, safe learning environment. Joining us today is school leader Lynsie Hunt who will describe how the virtual classroom has evolved over the years and how more students and parents are finding it to be an effective alternative to the traditional classroom. Lynsie will also discuss her experiences in the virtual classroom and how teachers engage students.

Opportunities & Challenges to Improving Vaccine Rates in Ohio

The Immunization Advocacy Network of Ohio, a statewide network of Ohio immunization providers and supporters who advocate for the value of vaccines, recently partnered with the Ohio Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics (Ohio AAP) to host an Immunization Summit in Columbus that focused on childhood vaccines. The Summit convened a small group of healthcare providers including pediatricians, pharmacists, and nurses as well as public health officials and vaccine advocates.  While Ohio’s rates of immunization among children are decreasing, the Summit allowed for robust discussion and the sharing of ideas for the best ways to address issues such as vaccine hesitancy, data collection, and education.   Joining us for today’s podcast are Melissa Wervey Arnold, CEO of the Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and Dr. David Karas, a pediatrician at Akron Children’s Pediatrics and is medical director of Ambulatory Quality and Clinical Outcomes Improvement at Akron Children’s, who discuss the Summit and how experts and advocates are working to improve vaccine rates in Ohio.

Great River Connections Academy: preparing students with college and career-focused programming

Great River Connections Academy® (GRCA) is a unique, tuition-free, online public school that offers a high-quality educational experience that keeps students motivated and engaged in a safe, virtual learning environment. With the help of specially trained teachers and their parents/learning coaches, students gain the skills and confidence they need to direct their own educational journey, learning to thrive in the real world by first learning how to be resourceful and resilient. Great River Connections Academy® also supports middle and high school students throughout Ohio in their journey toward discovering and achieving their career goals. GRCA offers a unique combination of traditional courses and industry-specific electives in fields such as Information Technology, Business, and Healthcare. These programs are designed to prepare students for both college and the workforce, providing them with the knowledge, skills, and connections needed to succeed. Additionally, the academy's partnerships with leading companies and institutions offer students meaningful, real-world experiences. The aim is to help students find their direction in life, making the future less intimidating and more attainable. Today were joined by Great River Connections Academy Principal Jason Swinehart who discussed this College and Career Readiness offering and the pathway its providing students.

Back to School with Ohio Connections Academy

It's back-to-school season once again, a time filled with excitement for students and parents as they gear up for the new academic year. However, the only people perhaps more eager than the students themselves are the teachers. In traditional classrooms, teachers are busy getting their spaces ready—arranging desks and chairs, decorating bulletin boards, organizing school supplies, and finalizing lesson plans. But what about online classrooms? How do teachers in a virtual environment prepare for a new school year? To explore this, we’re joined by three teachers from Ohio Connections Academy, who are currently getting ready for their new school year, which begins on August 19th.