Episodes

  • Episode 6 - Space to Grow

    Episode 6 - Space to Grow
    Jan 31 2023
    In the sixth episode of Pencil Down we welcome Danielle Russell and Kenneth Varner to Study Hall to talk about their work on the Space to Grow program which seeks to transform schoolyards in Chicago into spaces for youth and the community to play, learn, and enjoy time outside.

    During the Chicago Policy Review Review, we talk with senior editor Sarah Tuner about the social and psychological challenges of communicating the science behind climate change.

    In School Days we speak with Rohit Kandala about the many different schools he attended growing up between India and Connecticut.

    We hope you enjoy!
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Episode 5 - Kotha at Schools

    Episode 5 - Kotha at Schools
    May 19 2022
    In the Season 1 finale of Pencil Down we welcome Umama Zillur to Study Hall to talk about Kotha at Schools, a school-based program that aims to mobilize young people to change societal mindsets and dismantle the culture of gender based violence in Bangladesh; at the Chicago Policy Review Review we talk with staff writer Allison Swimmer about a new proposed change to the California state K-12 math curriculum; and in School Days your trust host, Sam Zuckert, takes a trip down memory lane and shares his own educational journey.
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    1 hr and 13 mins
  • Episode 4 - Infrastructure Near and Far

    Episode 4 - Infrastructure Near and Far
    Apr 19 2022
    In the fourth episode of Pencil Down we welcome Professor Anjali Adukia to Study Hall to talk about her work on how the provision of basic needs can increase school participation and improve child outcomes; at the Chicago Policy Review Review we talk with staff writer Alexia Lipman about the past, present, and future of the United States' federal child tax credit; and in School Days we speak with Stephen Fowler about his experiences attending primary and secondary school in Ratoath, Ireland.
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Episode 3: The Consortium

    Episode 3: The Consortium
    Mar 10 2022
    In Pencil Down’s third episode we welcome Dr. Elaine Allensworth, the Lewis-Sebring Director of the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research, to Study Hall to talk about the work and research the Consortium does with Chicago Public Schools and beyond; in School Days we speak with Jose Villalobos Gonzales about his experiences attending school while moving around Mexico; and at the Chicago Policy Review Review we talk with staff writer Adam Leader-Smith about the state of student debt in America.
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    1 hr and 13 mins
  • Episode 2: The Swiss Apprentice

    Episode 2: The Swiss Apprentice
    Jan 25 2022
    In Pencil Down’s second episode we welcome the Consul General of Switzerland in Chicago Bruno Ryff for Study Hall, our main interview about public education in Switzerland and their apprenticeship model of post-primary vocational education; in School Days we speak with Natalie Brown about her experiences growing up and attending school in Palm Bay, Florida; and at the Chicago Policy Review Review we talk with staff writer Allison Swimmer about the mental health challenges that schools are facing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Episode 1: Gifted and Talented

    Episode 1: Gifted and Talented
    Dec 2 2021
    In Pencil Down’s inaugural episode we welcome University of Chicago graduate student and former teacher Taylor Ortiz for Study Hall, our main interview about academic differentiation, tracking, and special admission/gifted programs; in School Days we speak with Shanel Singh about her experiences growing up and attending school in Hayward, CA; and at the Chicago Policy Review Review we talk with staff writer Rukmini Bhugra about a new law passed in Illinois that will mandates comprehensive sex education in all IL public schools.
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    45 mins