Beyond Academics: How Connection Transforms Learning

Preparing Kids for Life Beyond Home

In this episode of Building Pathways to Healthy Minds, educator and school leader Kelly Broaddus shares practical insight on parenting, education, and helping children grow into confident, independent adults. Drawing from 25 years of experience in education and her own parenting journey, Kelly discusses the importance of play-based learning, healthy boundaries, resilience, and allowing kids to safely experience failure and discomfort. The conversation also explores modern parenting challenges like technology overuse, perfectionism, and over-protectiveness, while emphasizing that children don’t need perfect parents — they need supportive adults who listen, guide, and create safe spaces for growth, vulnerability, and connection.

Creating Stronger Families Through Prevention and Connection

In Season 2, episode 15, Michelle Sacks, the CEO of the Kailee Mills Foundation and former ChildBuilders educator, shares her journey and passion for protecting children through prevention and education. Michelle and our host Priscilla discuss the importance of starting safety conversations early, teaching kids assertiveness and empathy, and staying connected as parents. Drawing from both her professional experience and personal life, Michelle offers practical ways to help children navigate real-world risks. Her message is clear: prevention starts with us, and every child deserves to feel safe, supported, and seen. * Learn more about Michelle here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-sacks-gonzalez-40b1bb61/ * Kailee Mills Foundation: https://www.kaileemillsfoundation.org/

Beyond Academics: How Connection Transforms Learning

In this powerful episode of Building Pathways to Healthy Minds, educator and principal Lerato Mashiloane (Ms. Mash) shares her experience working with students in South Africa and the profound impact of social and emotional learning. Drawing from both public and private school settings, she highlights the complex challenges many students face, from poverty and trauma to lack of support at home. Through her work, she’s seen how empathy, connection, and intentional relationship-building can transform a child’s ability to learn and grow. Ms. Mash also offers a personal perspective, reflecting on her own upbringing and how it shapes the way she teaches and parents today. She emphasizes that raising resilient, emotionally aware children starts with adults doing their own healing and modeling healthy behaviors. This episode is a reminder that while education is important, connection comes first—and it starts with us. Learn more about Ms. Mash here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lerato-mashiloane-610555148/

Keeping Children Safe: Prevention Through Education

ChildBuilder's very own Executive Director, Amanda Siroosian is the special guest on this episode of Building Pathways to Healthy Minds. Together, Amanda and our host, Priscilla Bagley, discuss the power of prevention and how communities can work together to protect children. Amanda shares how ChildBuilders is making a difference by empowering the three most important influences in a child’s life: parents, educators, and children themselves. Through ChildBuilders programs, they are equipped with skills like assertiveness, empathy, emotional regulation, and conflict resolution. Also, Amanda emphasizes why prevention is key, how early education can stop abuse before it happens, and the lasting impact of adverse childhood experiences on mental and physical health. This episode also highlights ChildBuilder's three-tiered approach, the importance of teaching children to recognize, respond to, and report unsafe situations, and how programs like Stand Strong, Stay Safe are providing kids with the tools they need to protect themselves and others. Amanda and Pricilla's conversation is a hopeful reminder that abuse is preventable, and that through education, awareness, and connection, we can build safer, healthier communities for every child.

Building Safe Futures: What Families Need to Know About Human Trafficking

This episode of Building Pathways to Healthy Minds takes a powerful and honest look at human trafficking and how it impacts children and families today. Host Priscilla Bagley sits down with David Reid, founder of redM, to break down what trafficking really looks like, how grooming happens, and the warning signs parents and caregivers should not ignore. Together, they discuss common misconceptions, the role of technology, and how traffickers build relationships over time—often in ways that are hard to detect. David also shares practical insights on prevention, the importance of connection within families, and how communities can take action to protect children. This is a heavy but essential conversation that reminds us: awareness, education, and strong relationships are key to keeping kids safe. Learn more about redM: https://www.joinredm.com/