BexarCast

It’s hard to say perfection is overrated, but there’s also value in not always getting things exactly right. Currently, there’s a trend toward maker-spaces in education where students are given an objective and told to figure it out. Working on teams and innovating means there are going to be fits and starts, dead ends and cave ins before finally, success. Those failures along the way are all part of the journey. Learning that success is not permanent and failure is not fatal is all part of the process. Welcome to BexarCast.

Ever see something that just didn’t look quite right? Leo Gomez has and instead of shrugging it off, he took it on. After serving on as many as 12 nonprofit boards at once, he’s still looking for ways to serve his community and his neighbors. Welcome to BexarFest.

Covid is not only changing the way people work today, but it’s liable to have an impact on how people work forever. Is it also going to impact the way we educate generations to come? Are classrooms a thing of the past or the wave of the future? Welcome to BexarCast.

There’s more to art education than learning to draw or dance. There’s communication, examination, and according to Jami Bevans, president of the Texas Art Education Association, basic arts training can come in handy when conducting surgery. Welcome to BexarCast.

Mary Japhet knows a good story when she hears one. She’s made a career of telling them. Whether it’s for a nonprofit such as San Antonio Sports, or one of the many clients she supports through Japhet Media, the key, she says, is to dig just a little deeper than everyone else. Welcome to BexarCast.

San Antonio celebrated its 300th birthday in 2018, and while the city is one of America’s oldest, its workforce is one of the country’s youngest. Y-Texas founder Ed Curtis says with millennials now stepping into corporate leadership positions, that pool of young potential employees, and the lifestyle they enjoy, is particularly attractive to businesses considering coming to Texas. Welcome to BexarCast.

Whether it’s in the for-profit, or nonprofit world, whether you’re selling buildings or recruiting builders, the ability to tell a compelling story that resonates with your audience is the key getting people on board. Kristi Villanueva knows your passion doesn’t mean anything if it doesn’t spark the passion of your audience. Welcome to BexarCast.

Women are branching out into new fields and new roles everyday. Just ask Kamala Harris. San Antonio restaurateur Tim McDiarmid is another woman who’s making room, not just for herself, but for all women, in what has traditionally been a male-dominated industry. Welcome to BexarCast.

If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that everyone needs a paycheck. But there are lots of ways to earn money. What else does a business have to offer to attract employees today? How about involvement with 2,000 or 3,000 nonprofits over 30 years? Compensation is important, but, according to Robby Brown at Documation, so is culture. Welcome to BexarCast.

There’s no right or wrong way to create art. It’s one place where an occasional failure is practically guaranteed. Then again, failure is in the eye of the beholder and Texas Cultural Trust CEO Heidi Marquez Smith tends to see success in almost every artistic effort. Welcome to BexarCast.

Leadership is, by definition, challenging. Whether it’s volunteering at a nonprofit organization, or spending 10 months in the Leadership SA program gaining an in-depth understanding of the promises and challenges San Antonio holds. During this pandemic we’re learning about, and rising to, new challenges every day. Cristina Bazaldua says, “bring it.” Welcome to BexarCast.

Engineering is a hard science. Building a bridge takes math. Developing a software program takes coding. But what if you’re designing an experience? Belinda Medellin, a former high school teacher, and now a UX designer and consultant, says user experience design starts with empathy, where a lot of things start. Welcome to BexarCast.

We’ll get back to normal. One of these days. It won’t be today and it won’t be all at once. And “normal” won’t be the same as it was before the pandemic. Still, Chris Kiley, Associate Director of Texans for the Arts, is looking forward to the day when we’ll all be together again, physically and artistically. Welcome to BexarCast.

Everyone’s innovative these days. Covid has seen to that. We’re all learning new ways to work, to become educated, to interact. The City of San Antonio’s office of innovation is on the leading edge of how residents not only get the tools they need, but how those tools are designed. Welcome to BexarCast.

With all that’s going on right now, it may not feel like it, but there’s a great big world out there. And lots of high school students are getting some real-world experience by enrolling in Career Technology Education courses all around San Antonio. Ben Peterson, Senior Director of the North East ISD’s CTE program, says they’re flattening a different kind of curve. A learning curve. Welcome to BexarCast.

We’re getting better at social distancing. No one likes it, but, as humans do, we’re adapting. Zoom meetings are a poor substitute for face-to-face interaction. There’s something missing. You can still see people and hear them, but energy doesn’t flow through the internet the way it flows through a room. Eugene Jimenez of the Doseum is an interactive guy in an interactive job. And he has some ideas on how to get that interactive feeling back. Welcome to BexarCast.

Not every child grows up to be an artist. But they do grow up with their own creative goals. Some people express their creativity through spreadsheets, some in their baking. Whatever career children eventually pursue, Ben Tremillo, executive director at San Anto Cultural Arts, wants them to recognize, and exercise, their own creativity. Welcome to BexarCast.

Moonshots are hard. That’s why they’re called moonshots. Creating media for a nonprofit, is a daunting task. More daunting than most of the high school students who sign up for BexarFest realize. Olivia Comas Wood has been there. Now in her second year of her Masters of Fine Arts program at Florida State University, she says once you get there, that walk on the moon is well worth the trip. Welcome to BexarCast.

The traditional three R’s of education, reading, writing and ‘rithmatic, are, in the 21st century, turning into the 4 C’s: Communications, Collaboration, Critical Thinking and Creativity. But there’s a fifth C gaining traction, Culture. Is just having a job enough? Is a paycheck enough? More and more young people are asking about a company’s culture. Do our goals align? Is our vision of society the same? Human Resources expert Daniel Hall suggest what students learn at 16 is going to make them more valuable at 26. Welcome to BexarCast.

Now that we’re all carrying media platforms around in our pockets, it’s easier than ever to tell our stories. If you’ve ever taken a photo of your dinner and posted it on your social media, you’re a storyteller. Shared a meme? You’re a storyteller. Forwarded a video link? You’re a storyteller.While most of us tell our stories on a small scale, the host of WOAI’s San Antonio Living Shelly Miles tells her stories to thousands every day. She’s here to share her story about how she became one of San Antonio’s best-known storytellers. Welcome to BexarCast.

Lots of lessons being learned right now, not many of them fun. How to interact from afar, how to do business without entering a business, how to learn and teach from a distance. Stan Laing, executive athletic director at San Antonio’s Northside ISD says one of the lessons sports teachs is how to deal with disappointment, how to recover and move on. Let’s do that. Welcome to BexarCast.

It may feel like we’re frozen in time right about now. On one hand, everything’s changed and on the other, nothing’s changing quickly enough. Winston Churchill said, “When you’re going through hell, keep going.” As we work our way through this pandemic, and we will come out the other side, the important thing is to keep going. San Antonio City Councilman Clayton Perry agrees and believes showing our compassion and helping each other keep going is more important now than ever. Welcome to BexarCast.

Dream big is pretty safe advice. Shoot for the moon, reach for the stars. Easy to say, harder to do, especially if you haven’t seen anyone else do it. San Antonio native Feliz Ramirez learned the lesson from her dad, Jesus. And now, his legacy is to give other kids the same advice. Welcome to BexarCast.

We’ve all learned a lot about viruses lately, whether we wanted to or not. San Antonio City Councilman Manny Pelaez says there are other things just as contagious as the coronavirus. And it’s up to you to decide what you’re going to infect those around you with. He’s got a prescription we can all share. Welcome to BexarCast.

Uncertainty is running a little high right now and empathy might be a little low as we all come to grips with a once-a-century pandemic. It’s easy, and not unreasonable, to focus on what’s happening today rather than what might happen tomorrow. Is there time for volunteer work right now? Is there money enough to spare for a cause, no matter how good?San Antonio journalist and fundraising consultant Bruce Kates believes the investments we make in our community today, especially today, will benefit all of us tomorrow. Welcome to BexarCast.

San Antonio’s not only the seventh largest city in the country, it’s also a business. Its products are its people. A skilled workforce is one of the benefits it can offer businesses interested in operating here. City Council District 3 representative Rebecca Viagran says the communication skills students are learning today, will be a critical part of their resume when they enter that workforce. Welcome to BexarCast.

Desire, passion, determination, they’re all important in building a career, whether it’s in the media or another field. KENS5 audience engagement specialist Jon Coker says the most important skill he learned when he was starting his career was self-leadership. It’s a lesson he learned the hard way and one he’s eager to share. Welcome to BexarCast.

Media bias is a hot topic these days. But is it real? Outliers, who make their living by stoking political passions aside, what should we expect of the media? Do we even want even-handed reporting or are we only interested in the news we agree with? KLRN news director Shari St. Clair says check your opinions at the door and listen to both sides of the story. Welcome to BexarCast.

If you live in or around San Antonio, chances are you’ve been to a Santikos Theater. But you may not know your popcorn is supporting nonprofit organizations across eight counties. Andrew Brooks explains the mission behind those movies. Not only is the theater chain a massive donor to the San Antonio Area Foundation, it’s also giving its employees, including teens, the chance to serve their community once the lights come up. Welcome to BexarCast.

It’s probably the easiest question anyone’s ever been asked. Do you want to change the world? Yeah, ok.Texas A&M Professor Michael Boucher believes we all have the opportunity and, as long as you’re changing the world anyway, let a kid see you do it. Welcome to BexarCast.Michael Boucher is an Assistant Professor of Curriculum and Instruction at Texas A&M University in San Antonio. He received his Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from Indiana University and is an expert in school curriculum, instruction (both online and face-to-face) and teacher engagement with communities. His studies have been published in Urban Education, the Urban Review and Action in Teacher Education.

It’s not the typical Hollywood dream. “I want to work in the movies so I’m going to study medicine, or the law, or accounting.” Not everyone involved in filmmaking ever even sees a camera. And, even if it is your dream, filmmaker and teacher Buddy Calvo says if you can live without it, you probably should.Welcome to BexarCast.

Not all stories are fiction. Telling a true story is a responsibility. Someone has entrusted you with a set of facts and they’re counting on you to relate them. The storyteller’s job is to make every story accurate and engaging. It’s a responsibility WOAI television’s Denise Cabello takes seriously and a craft she wants to pass on. Welcome to BexarCast.

Just like millions of students around the world, Michael Carreon’s school year didn’t go quite as he expected it to. He couldn’t have gone into his senior year at Jefferson High School expecting to spend one third of it at home. Nor could he have expected to win the Grande Communications Superstar Scholarship at BexarFest 2020. Now, he’s using that springboard to pursue his dream of being a filmmaker.

Take you, for example. Who do you learn best from? If you’re an adult male, then it’s probably other adult males. Whatever your profession, then chances are, you gravitate toward others from that profession. We tend to relate to those with whom we have something in common. Shared interests, or even shared afflictions, can bring us closer together. Evita Morin, executive director of Rise Recovery, knows the power of connections and wants to see teens build positive ones. Welcome to BexarCast.

The intersection of art and technology is an interesting place to be. While each can exist, in some form, without the other, they often come together in a total greater than the sum of their parts. Elizabeth Williams, Editor of the digital Modern in San Antonio magazine, spends a lot of time at that crossroad and is especially pleased when students pass by. Welcome to BexarCast.

It’s an old cliché. Kids are like sponges, they absorb everything. That’s why KLRN’s Katrina Kehoe believes it’s important to give them as many learning opportunities as possible. Sometimes it’s in the classroom, sometimes not. Sometimes they learn what you intended, sometimes not. Welcome to BexarCast.

There’s more to business than just dollars and cents, even for financial services businesses like Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union. Communications Manager Sal Guerrero says engaging with the community is more than a business strategy for RBFCU. It’s part of the culture. Welcome to BexarCast.

Most coaches will tell you team sports are an extension of the classroom. Team members learn life lessons like communications, leadership, mental discipline. But what if you’re not an athlete? Where do you learn those lessons that will be important in adulthood? Not surprisingly, Roland Rios, Technology Director for the Fort Sam Houston ISD, believes engaging with technology is one way to reveal strengths and build teams. Welcome to BexarCast.

Today’s educators are talking about the 4cs students will need in the 21st century. There’s critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity. Jessica Flores, A/V teacher at Somerset High School is making sure her students know about the fifth c, community, what it needs and where they fit. Welcome to BexarCast.

Anybody can tell a story. Ask any parent who’s listened to a four-year-old recap a movie. But what makes us storytellers? For Brantley Hightower, an architect who you’d expect to tell stories in steel and stone, it’s an unquenchable curiosity. His podcasts go beyond the “what” to the much more interesting “why” at the heart of every story. Welcome to BexarCast.

Adults tend to underestimate teenagers. Given the chance, they’ll surprise you. They’re generous, creative and fearless. And, as it turns out remarkably good at supporting their community. Welcome to BexarCast.

It’s easy to write off high school kids as, well, kids. Immature, disengaged, self-absorbed. It’s harder to see them as thought-leaders or community advocates. What would you expect from high school kids asked to make a three-minute video about rape victims? Whatever, you’re thinking right now, it’s probably wrong. Welcome to BexarCast.

Giving high school students an inside look at a nonprofit organization is a big part of BexarFest. That often means asking teenagers to look into uncomfortable topics. How will they respond? What story will they choose to tell? How will they tell it? NESA students took that challenge and had a remarkable response. Welcome to BexarCast.

“You run like a girl,” used to be a taunt. Now it’s a goal. Minka Misangyi, executive director of Girls on the Run of Bexar County, is encouraging pre-teen girls to exercise their inner strength and celebrate what makes them one-of-a-kind. And they’re showing her that when you give a kid a chance, they’ll run with it. Welcome to BexarCast.

Every parent has experienced that moment when they see their child is about to make a mistake and lets it happen. The consequences are usually pretty low, maybe a skinned knee or a bad taste. But the experience is important. After all, experience is the best teacher. Anais Biera Miracle of The Children’s Shelter is her to talk about how children learn, and teach. Welcome to BexarCast.

There’s more to storytelling than just reciting data. It’s the difference between a novel and a shopping list. There’s nuance, tone, pace. There’s communications. We all communicate every day. But when and how did we learn how to communicate?East Central High School A/V Production teacher David McGinnis and student Christopher Twiss are here to talk about talking. Welcome to BexarCast.

Different people work in different ways. Some are hard-charging and others are more laid back. Whatever your personality type, it’s important to be able to mesh gears with others to work as a team. Design and Technology Academy coach Mario Falcon wants his students to learn that lesson by creating media. He’s joining me to explore links between a smooth team and a smooth production. Welcome to BexarCast.

We all have a creative side. Maybe you create art or maybe you create spreadsheets. Either way, creative solutions come from creative thinking. Judson ISD superintendent Jeanette Ball wants to put her students in a position to practice those creative thinking skills and make them one of the tools they take into the workplace. She joins me to explore the connections between creativity and productivity. Welcome to BexarCast.

What does it take to have a creative career? Talent? Yeah, probably. Passion? Absolutely. But, what about business savvy? Is the world of arts education overlooking a key component to a creative career? Would you go to an accountant who couldn’t manage his own time? What about an attorney who couldn’t get her billing system right? Adam Tutor of San Antonio Sound Garden wants to teach young people there’s more to a music career than just music. He’s introducing them to the business of creativity. Welcome to BexarCast.

There’s nothing like experience. Reading a recipe is just not the same as baking the cake. That’s not to say there’s no value to studying, but experience turns theory into techniques and lessons into reality. Comal ISD superintendent Andrew Kim is here to take me inside the world of teaching outside the school. Welcome to BexarCast.

A school is a school, right? One school district is pretty much the same as another isn’t it? Or is it? Is a metropolitan education different than a rural education? Math is math, history is history, no matter the size of the school. Or is it? Do students in one school district have an advantage over another? East Central superintendent Roland Toscano says no. And he’s here to educate me about education in east Bexar County. Welcome to BexarCast.