education Archives - The John Krol Show

November 24, 2022

Erin Laundry, LEGO Master

It has been a beautiful, winding road for Erin Laundry on a path paved by unique talent and boundless creativity. From her earliest days as a gifted musician bound for the Berklee College of Music, quickly swapping classical piano for guitar, majoring in songwriting and eventually, effortlessly, teaching herself the bass guitar, while, at one point, playing in five different bands at once – Erin has shown an ability to master new challenges. So, it’s no surprise really that when she became a Mom and found a new family passion for LEGO, she would take it to new heights. Today, viewers around the world are following her as a top contestant on LEGO Masters, as she has successfully moved on to episode 5 of the Fox series. It’s a powerful validation for Erin who looks forward to reopening her business, Bottomless Bricks, in her hometown of Pittsfield. In our conversation we dive deep into the time and investment she has made in truly mastering many elements of the LEGO universe. In this episode we also cover: The very beginning of Erin’s LEGO fandom finding deals at tag sales and picking up LEGO bricks in bulk, LEGO’ers who follow the directions for new builds and those who build from scratch, LEGO sorting date nights, the evolution of the Bottomless Bricks business model from birthday parties to brick and mortar, the lingo of LEGO building and the names of pieces, it’s LEGO not “Legos,” minifigure trading, the Cloud City Boba Fett minifigure, why Erin named her son after a Star Wars character, “Brick and Brew” adult LEGO building events, succulent LEGO sets, the “Ladies LEGO Lounge” FB Group, gatekeeping and sometimes toxicity in traditional fan groups, the camaraderie among contestants on LEGO Masters, the grueling schedule of recorded episodes in March, Erin’s musical background including punk bands and meeting her future husband at the former Siberian Cafe in the Howard Building, scoping out a new location for Bottomless Bricks, the pandemic halting the business in 2020, brainstorming a LEGO public art project in downtown Pittsfield (LEGOtacular?), Pittsfield’s better than average connection to LEGO with Erin and Elizabeth Banks, voice of Wyldstyle in The LEGO Movie, LEGO knock-offs, the LEGO “system” and “clutch power,” the deer behind the fence near the old GE Plastic House, the LEGO House in Copenhagen, following PR protocols for media interviews and the NDA for LEGO Masters and much more. I hope you’ll enjoy my conversation with Erin Laundry.

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August 21, 2022

America Lopez, community advocate, health worker, Volunteers in Medicine

On the John Krol Podcast: With such a name, it may have seemed a self-fulfilling prophecy that America Lopez would ultimately find her way to the US from her native Mexico. Today, she is utilizing her experience as an immigrant to help others who are facing many of the same challenges she faced, as a community health worker for Volunteers in Medicine and as parent liaison for the Berkshire Hills Regional School District. And she’s making a measurable impact. Inspired by the Moth Radio Hour-style of storytelling, America started a Spanish-speaking podcast and radio program Nomadas Radio that has evolved with several of her close friends and colleagues, contributing on relevant conversations on personal growth and demystifying mental health. We also discuss: missing her family in Mexico and carrying on family traditions with her new family of friends in the Berkshires, advocating for herself and co-workers in her early days before mastering English, one of the English first words she learned was “fair,” working to change systems in schools to be more friendly for non-English speaking parents to help them be involved in their children’s education, how her daughter helped her come out of her shell and making new connections in the community, Olivia’s Outlook and enjoying trails and the outdoors in the Berkshires and more. I hope you’ll enjoy my conversation with America Lopez. — Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/john-krol/support

Brett Westbrook on The John Krol Podcast

August 10, 2022

Early Educator and Hero Brett Westbrook on the podcast

For Brett Westbrook, being named a 2022 Commonwealth Heroine is indicative that her organization’s work is making an impact. And it’s hard to think of more impactful work than caring and educating 3 to 5 year olds, and setting the foundation of success for young people and their families. For Brett, her inspiration came during her childhood in Pittsfield when her own values and tenacity were shaped by mentors and teachers within the community’s support system. Today, teaching resilience is a core piece of a holistic approach to education, which includes a healthy dose of play as learning and clinical social-emotional support. It’s quite a time for Brett with her recent “Heroine” recognition, and by the way, she’s also engaged to married and planning a wedding. Good times! Also, in our conversation, we cover: her early years in early childhood education as a 16 year old working at Girls Inc., early childhood educators not being paid what they’re worth, challenges including language barriers and transportation, how the pandemic led to some innovation like smaller student cohorts, collaboration with the Pittsfield Public Schools including the early education career program at Taconic High School, what it’s like planning a wedding, and more. I hope you’ll enjoy my conversation with Brett Westbrook.

May 31, 2022

#33 – Dan Joslyn – outgoing Program Director, Boys & Girls Club, Pittsfield, MA

How do you measure the impact one person has made. You may not ever be able to truly measure that now, or even in years to come. Dan “The Man” Joslyn has dedicated his career to being a mentor, a teacher, a safe haven to so many young people in their most impressionable years – instilling values, accountability and equipping with the invaluable tools needed to live one’s best life. As an adopted son and growing up in a household with 15 brothers and sisters, Dan’s understanding of being there for one another was innate. He has had incredible challenges and lessons, after a serious car accident left him with a traumatic brain injury and other serious injuries from the crash, Dan persevered through physical and occupational therapy to, ultimately, fully recover. And then, the unthinkable, his big brother, Ben, was killed in a car accident. In our conversation, we talk about how these experiences have shaped him as a man, and how Ben is still with him as he continues to learn lessons in life. As Dan moves onto his next adventure in eastern Massachusetts, we discuss his time as the program director at the Boys and Girls Club and more, including: instilling accountability in young people, providing a safe haven particularly during the pandemic and the lockdown, the power of small changes that lead to completely new paths in life, being present, outside validation on social media vs. self-awareness, understanding your true friends and a trusted inner circle, listening to listen vs. listening to respond, how just one coach and/or mentor can make all the difference, coaching AAU, the joys of T-Ball and Coaches Pitch baseball, the disproportionately large number of young people the Pittsfield Boys and Girls Club serves every single day compared to other clubs around the country, the trend of specialization in youth sports and how we ought to rethink that to provide more well-rounded athletic experiences for kids, taking a chance like the Boys & Girls Club took a chance on him. I hope you’ll enjoy my conversation with Dan “The Man” Joslyn. — Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/john-krol/support