Spotlight 4 Success | "Books, Beasts, And Borrowed Time" | SCLA 2025

12/3/2025

Curious how a zoo brings the wild into your local library? We sat down with Andrea Robichaud, education specialist at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, at the South Carolina Library Association to share how summer reading themes transform into lively, hands-on programs for families. From last year’s exploration of color—how animals signal, hide, and communicate, and how keepers use color to organize care—to this year’s Unearthing a Story, we connect fossils and ancient creatures to the behaviors of modern animals kids can see today. Website: spotlight4success.com

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Spotlight 4 Success | "Libraries Beyond Books" | SCLA 2025

12/3/2025

Think a library is just shelves and a reference desk? Spend a few minutes with us and librarian Jenny Lao from Richland Library Northeast, and watch that picture shift. Recorded at the South Carolina Library Association gathering in Columbia, our conversation dives into how thoughtful programming and equity-focused leadership can turn a branch into a true community hub. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "Charleston Libraries Rebuilt" | SCLA 2025

12/2/2025

Big change doesn’t happen by accident. We sit down with Charleston County Public Library’s chief deputy director to unpack a county-wide transformation powered by a $108.5 million referendum, deep community trust, and a clear operational backbone. From five new branches and system-wide renovations to a main library redesign now underway, you’ll hear how a large system keeps policies aligned across eighteen locations while still meeting neighborhood needs. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "What Happens When Children Choose Their Own Books" | SCLA 2025

12/2/2025

A gym full of kids, a stack of fresh books, and a mascot who can turn a story into a celebration—this is how reading becomes a lifelong habit. We sit down with Margaret Jackson of Cocky’s Reading Express to explore how a joyful, high-energy model brings literacy to Title I schools across all 46 South Carolina counties, powered by the University of South Carolina’s iSchool. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "Story Walks That Get Kids Reading" | SCLA 2025

12/2/2025

Imagine a picture book unfolding along a sunny park path, each page waiting around the next bend. That’s the magic behind story walk signs, and we sit down with Meghan Beehler from Lark Signs to explore how this simple idea turns movement into motivation for young readers and their families. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "STEM For Every Student" | SCLA 2025

12/1/2025

The future of work isn’t waiting, and neither are we. From a bustling floor at the South Carolina Library Association Conference, we sit down with Collin Robinson, executive director at 21st Century Ed, to unpack a simple idea with big ambition: bring STEM to every learner early, often, and everywhere. You’ll hear how a community-first approach that links school districts, public libraries, local businesses, and universities can turn curiosity into skills that match real jobs shaped by automation and AI. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "How A New Librarian Builds Community Through Open Mic Programs" | SCLA 2025

12/1/2025

Ever wondered how a simple open mic can change the feel of a library? We sit down with Brittany Smith from Richland Library Sand Hills—freshly launched into her graduate studies at the University of South Carolina—to explore how handing the microphone to neighbors turns a quiet room into a vibrant community stage. From poetry and storytelling to music and student showcases, Brittany walks us through the practical steps any library can take to host a safe, inclusive, and wildly engaging open mic. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "A Student’s First Look At Librarianship" | SCLA 2025

11/24/2025

Ever wonder how a career in libraries begins? We’re on the floor at the South Carolina Library Association conference in Columbia talking with USC student Bobbi Elmore about the moment a middle school volunteer shift became a calling and how that spark now guides her path through the Master of Library Science. It’s a short, lively conversation that puts heart and practicality side by side: what the MLS really covers, why conferences matter, and how to turn curiosity into a plan you can act on. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "Coding Starts Young" | OKSTE 2025

11/20/2025

Ever wonder how a six-year-old learns to think like a programmer? We sit down with Barbie Day of Pratt Elementary to explore what early computer science looks like when it’s playful, structured, and genuinely empowering. From color-matching commands to first steps in debugging, Barbie shares a classroom approach that builds problem-solving skills long before students write their first line of text-based code. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "How A Smart Board Sparked A Career In EdTech" | OKSTE 2025

11/12/2025

A single smart board changed everything. That first taste of interactive teaching sent Jill White from a third grade classroom toward a master’s in educational technology and, ultimately, into the role of technology director for Porter Consolidated. We sit with Jill at the OKSTE conference in Tulsa to unpack how she bridges instruction, infrastructure, and daily classroom needs—without drowning teachers in complexity. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "Middle Years Matter" | NCMLE 2025

10/23/2025

Middle school isn’t the hallway between “cute” and “chaos”—it’s the proving ground where students decide who they’re becoming. We sit down with Anna Crooke, a veteran educator and board member for the North Carolina Middle Level Educators, to unpack why the middle years carry outsized impact and how a conference like NCMLE fuels real classroom change. From her roots in a family of teachers to roles spanning classroom, coaching, principalship, and district leadership, Anna shares a candid look at what works when adolescents are testing limits, seeking belonging, and building habits that last. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "Six Sessions, One Mission" | NCMLE 2025

10/13/2025

If you’ve ever wondered how a single moment can reroute a life, Joe Pizzo’s story will stick with you. We caught up in sunny Charlotte at NCMLE, where Joe and his colleague Ken Pasic submitted six session ideas—and were shocked when all six were accepted. That win set the stage for a wide‑ranging talk about what really moves the needle for middle‑level learners: hearing great language, seeing caring adults model curiosity, and feeling safe enough to try. Website: https://www.spotlight4success.com/

Spotlight 4 Success | "Seeds Before the Harvest" | NCMLE 2025

10/9/2025

A spark in a science lab. A brave ask for help in a lunchroom. A reminder from a keynote to keep planting seeds even when the harvest feels far away. This conversation from NCMLE in Charlotte brings the heartbeat of school to the surface as we sit down with eighth-grade science teacher and AVID educator Erin Burton and assistant principal Michelle Posley Lee from Southeastern Randolph Middle School. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "Guardrails, Not Shortcuts" | GACIS 2025

10/6/2025

What if your classroom AI refused to write the paper—and taught students how to think instead? We sit down with Brittany Ordu from TrekAI at the Gacis conference in Athens, Georgia to unpack a teacher-built, student-centered platform that puts privacy, safety, and authentic learning first. Rather than handing out answers, TrekAI prompts learners to explore themes, gather evidence, and connect new ideas to what they already know, turning quick requests into moments of real understanding. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "Inside Ferristown’s Playbook" | KY Cont. Improvement 2025

10/2/2025

Policy shifts don’t raise scores—people and routines do. From a busy hallway in Lexington, we sit down with Principal Angie Alexander of Ferristown Middle School to unpack how Kentucky’s new accountability pathway and the push for “vibrant learning” translate into daily wins for real students. Angie shares a grounded playbook: align resources to standards, make math engagement visible, and build relationships that keep students in the struggle long enough to learn something durable. Website: spotlight4success.com

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