Joy In Learning, The Harley School's Podcast

"A community grows one seed at a time."   Middle School English students recently brought the book Seedfolks to life! Under the guidance of Mrs. Leary, students planted a dedicated garden in the Harley MicroFarm, bridging the gap between the written word and the natural world.   By researching seeds that matched their characters' backgrounds, students created a living map of the story. At Harley, we don't just study literature; we cultivate it.

What does it look like when biology leaps off the page and into the MakerSpace? Join 7/8 Grade Science teacher Carli Rivers as she discusses one of Harley's Middle School projects: building 10-foot-tall oversized plant and animal cells.   Instead of just labeling a diagram, Carli's students took to the MakerSpace to engineer life-sized models. Working in pairs to tackle specific parts of a cell, students had to collaborate, problem-solve, and build.   In this video, Carli shares: Why the process of building is as vital as the biological facts themselves. How the MakerSpace became an extension of the science lab. The impact of scale: Why exploring a 10-foot cell creates a memory that lasts longer than a textbook chapter.

In this episode, we sit down with Head of School Dr. Ryan Kimmet to tackle a growing crisis in modern education: the disappearance of play. While many schools view play as a luxury for the early years, The Harley School treats it as a critical engine for learning from Nursery through Grade 12. Dr. Kimmet dives into the science and strategy behind "protecting the sandbox." We discuss: Why Harley maintains Middle School recess when most schools phase it out. How "playful" physics labs lead to deeper conceptual understanding than traditional lectures. How a culture of play builds the "competitive edge" Harley graduates need for the future of work. The psychological link between unstructured time and navigating the "growing pains" of adolescence. Join us for a deep dive into why "seat time" isn't the same as "learning time," and how protecting the art of play creates students who aren't just high achievers, but creative thinkers ready to iterate and innovate.

Beyond the Lens: The Storyteller Behind Harley's Biggest Moments What does it mean to capture the "heart" of Harley? Our multimedia specialist, Art Rothfuss, shares his decade-long journey and the powerful philosophy that guides his work. Hear why he believes in treating every student with deep respect. Get a peek inside his unique project documenting the life-changing Harley Hospice Program—a class unlike any other in the world. Read Art's full story on fostering connections, authentic storytelling, and finding the moments that define our community!

Join the creators of the musical song cycle "The BFF Notebook" for a discussion about their show and creative process. This warm and musical show is a look back at the shared childhood of two lifelong friends, Bridget and Amy.   The BFF Notebook, a journal where the friends wrote down their thoughts and dreams, serves as a unique record of their most formative years. This show unpacks a friendship built on a lifetime of shared moments, some spoken and some only written. It's a story of two girls who, destined to "make something" together, were creating just that all along. The show, presented by the ESL Rochester Fringe Festival and The Harley School, will take place at The Harley School on September 20th at 4 pm and 7 pm. Tickets are $12 and are available at the door.

An interview with The Harley School's new Head of School, Dr. Ryan Kimmet '95. The school's first alumni to take the helm.

Reporting from Minnesota today, Melissa Spiess '95 has an extensive background in using music as a way to heal people. Her two-decade-plus career includes founding Living Spirit Therapy, which specializes in neurologic music therapy services. Join us as we dive into her career, common misconceptions around music therapy, and what her specialized services do for people of all backgrounds.

Join me and none other than Harley's very own jazz aficionado, Mike Kaupa, as he shares stories of his life, evolution at Harley, and career working with everyone from jazz legends to Ray Charles. The awesomeness factor here is off the charts.

Join us for an conversation with Rusty Keeler, designer, author, and Vice President of the International Play Association, as we discuss into the transformative power of natural and risky play for children. Ahead of his visit to the Harley School on May 1st and 2nd, Rusty shares his passion for connecting kids with nature through play spaces filled with loose parts and opportunities for adventure. We explore how embracing appropriate risks fosters crucial developmental skills, chat about the challenges of screen-dominated childhoods, and uncover practical ways parents and educators can encourage meaningful outdoor experiences. Learn how simple elements like dirt, trees, and even scrap materials can spark imagination, build independence, and contribute to children's overall well-being. To discover more, visit rustykeeler.com and listen to his podcast, "Play Nature."

"Indigenous Relationships to Fire" Jade Haumann's presentation on 4/22/2025 at The Harley School challenges the dominant fire narrative, revealing historical injustices and advocating for the inclusion of Indigenous ecological and cultural practices, while illuminating how our very language shapes our perception of fire, especially in the face of climate change. The program begins at 6:30 and is free and open to the public.

Join me and Lydia Brown '15, a music therapist and life-long vocalist and musician with a creative arts therapy degree. In this episode, we talk about how music is deeply tied to our emotions and sense of rhythm and mood, what it takes to be a music therapist, and resist the urge to nerd out about Jacob Collier. The Harley School's Senior Capstone Program empowers Grade 12 students to design their own learning through research, projects, reflection, and public presentation, culminating in a unique academic experience.

Dive into the world of music therapy with board-certified music therapist Jen Trimble-Ford. We explore the mindsets and treatments she uses in a clinical setting, discuss the physiological effects music has on people, and address common misconceptions about the practice of music therapy. We also discuss principles of music theory that can be useful in accomplishing a patient's goals through the music therapy program. The Harley School's Senior Capstone Program empowers Grade 12 students to design their own learning through research, projects, reflection, and public presentation, culminating in a unique academic experience.

Tune in to our latest podcast to hear about "The Isaiah House Project: Lessons in Dying and Compassion." Join us as we explore the powerful story of The Isaiah House, a Rochester hospice serving the homeless, mentally ill, and addicted. Learn about the invaluable contributions of Harley faculty member Sybil Prince and our students who volunteer at this remarkable organization

Author and Democrat & Chronicle education reporter, Justin Murphy discusses segregation in Rochester-area schools.

Our Head of School, Larry Frye, chats with alum Bailey Smith '06 about her job as an Air Resources Engineer at the California Air Resources Board where she works on investment on underserved and overburdened communities via the Cap and Trade program.

Capstone Connect is a podcast following the journeys of Harley's capstone students as they delve into their passions, fail every so often, and grow from their experiences. This is a platform for the students to share their stories and to connect with each other and other community members over their projects.

Our Head of School, Larry Frye, chats with alum Harmony Button '99 about the effects of the pandemic on education.

Join a Zoom panel of Harley School alumni active in the education field as we explore how the last two years have impacted the future of education. The COVID pandemic has forced educators to assess not only the new skills faculty and students have learned, but to use this as a pivotal moment to imagine the future. Guests include: Matt Budd ‘96, Director of Community Action, Berkeley Carroll School, Brooklyn, NY; Elizabeth McDonald ‘01, LS Science, Katherine Delmar Burke School, San Francisco, California; Jillian Waldman ‘02, US Physics, Friends Select School Philadelphia, PA; Rashid Duroseau ‘05, Civics Program Director, Democracy Prep Public Schools, New York, NY; Marshall Carter ‘87, Head of Atrium School, Cambridge, MA; and Ryan Kimmet ‘95, Head of Elmwood Franklin School, Buffalo, NY.

This year one of our oldest traditions, Candlelight, has been completely re-concepted and reconstructed because of the COVID pandemic. Join us for a peek behind-the-scenes with two of our planners, Dr. Terry Smith and Ben Burroughs, to learn more about how we allowed the tradition to continue!

Dr. Ray Dorsey directs the Center for Health + Technology. For the past decade, he has pioneered technology to care for individuals with, and measure the features of Parkinson’s disease. His research has been published in the leading neurology, medical, and economic journals and also has been featured on NPR and in The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times.

In his talk, “Antiracism: Moving America Toward Democracy,” Bruce A. Jacobs will discuss how the United States will never be a functioning democracy until we overcome white supremacy in our societal structure and within ourselves, and how the our nation’s founding legacy of white supremacy is itself the main reason why America now trails the developed world in citizen rights such as health care, education, and basic economic security. Jacobs will talk personally and politically about both the devastation and the massive opportunity of our current moment as America faces both its lethal dysfunction and a widening demand for remedies, with African-American demands for justice leading the way.   About Bruce A. Jacobs: As an author and advocate, Bruce A. Jacobs takes apart racism and works for our shared interests against bigoted and authoritarian thought and action. His book RACE MANNERS was called “a must-read” by Los Angeles Times columnist Norine Dresser. On his blog, Alias Bruce, he was among those who warned early of Donald Trump's explosive appeal to resentful white voters. He has spoken in communities nationwide, has appeared on NPR, C-SPAN and elsewhere, and has published op-eds in Truthout and other online publications. He is a widely-published poet who has been anthologized by former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins and others. He is also a working jazz drummer. He is a native of Rochester, NY, and he now lives in Washington, DC.

Data and Disruption: How One Organization Overcame the Odds to Change the Game for Criminal Justice Reform Rochester’s Amy Bach, founder of Measures for Justice, has discovered a way to track fairness in the criminal justice system—to see if people from different backgrounds and races and economic statuses are all getting the same treatment. By collecting data from all over the country, Amy and her team have developed a sophisticated method for doing what no one thought could be done.Join The Harley School as we welcome Amy for a presentation about overcoming obstacles in pursuit of doing the right thing; to help the millions of people who are treated unfairly by the criminal justice system every day. This event is free and open to the public.  WHO: Amy Bach, Executive Director and President of Measures for Justice, former Journalist WHEN:           Tuesday, January 21, 2020                        6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. WHERE:         The Harley School, 1981 Clover Street , Rochester, NY 14618

Diversity in Education Celebrating 25 years of Horizons at Harley, by digging into the great topic of equity in education. Our esteemed presenters will discuss diversity, equity, access and how they impact education in Rochester from elementary up through higher education.    The event is Saturday, October 26 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon and is free and open to the public.   The morning will begin with a keynote from Cornell University Dean of Students Vijay Pendakur, a leader in diversity and inclusion in high education, followed by a panel discussion addressing the idea that all students have the potential for great success.    This episode features panelists: Cheryl Kodjo and Anand Marri

Between is a Harley senior capstone crossover project where we discuss masculinity, femininity, and their social, economic, and political significance. In this episode we have a guest, Eleanor, to talk about the crossover of racial and gender stereotypes.

Between is a Harley senior capstone crossover project where we discuss masculinity, femininity, and their social, economic, and political significance. In this episode we have a guest, Maya, to talk about the gender and racial stereotypes in the LGBTQ+ community. 

Between is a Harley senior capstone crossover project where we discuss masculinity, femininity, and their social, economic, and political significance. In this episode, we’re discussing gender stereotypes across generations.

Between is a Harley senior capstone crossover project where we discuss masculinity, femininity, and their social, economic, and political significance. In this episode, we’re discussing gender discrimination in the workplace. 

Between is a Harley senior capstone crossover project where we discuss masculinity, femininity, and their social, economic, and political significance.

Jeff Lindstrom from Bienenstock, talks about the Winslow Natural Playground and Outdoor Learning Center.

Thomas Warfield is a dance instructor at RIT, and he has been involved in many local, national, and international creative collaborations since getting his first taste of performing at Harley in the Lower School. We spoke about saying "yes" to opportunities, as well as the pursuit of critical and creative thinking as a way of life.

Harley graduate Ryan Atkinson '11 shares how our school helped lay the groundwork for his current job at Sledgehammer Games. Where he most recently acted as a Level Designer for Call of Duty: WWII.   Ryan worked on the single player team to create, iterate, and polish combat setups across 6 levels. He worked in tandem with environment artists, animators, and the FVX and lighting team while guiding different experiences based off of his design and designs that were directed by level leads.

Join the Head of our Lower School, Dr. Terry Smith, for part two of our podcasts on play. This episode focuses on play as a vehicle for learning across all grade levels.

Joy In Learning is a podcast highlighting stories happening at The Harley School in Rochester, NY.   This episode is a preview of our October Commons Series panel discussion “Optimistic Innovators: Creating a Sustainable Future” focuses on current topics in environmental sustainability and will include how experiences at Harley impacted career paths.    The panelists: Harley School alumni Nate August ‘11, manager, Wegmans Organic Farm & Orchard, Meg (Malone) Sternowski ’06, Corporate Environmental Sustainability Manager, Constellation Brands, will return to campus, 1981 Clover Street, Rochester, N.Y. to lead discussions on Creating a Sustainable Future for its Commons Series on October 24 from 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.    

Joy In Learning is a podcast highlighting the stories happening at The Harley School in Rochester, NY.   Our Head of Lower School, Terry Smith, discusses why play is an important part of learning.

Joy In Learning is a podcast highlighting the stories happening at The Harley School in Rochester, NY.   Our guest is Mark Zupan, esteemed President of Alfred University, former Board of Trustees President at Harley, and Harley parent.  Zupan will discuss his book, Inside Job: How Government Insiders Subvert the Public Interest, (Cambridge University Press) released earlier this year. The book examines how government is vulnerable to demand-side capture by special interests but also to supply-side take-over by insider operating for their own benefit at the expanse of the public good.

Joy In Learning is a podcast highlighting the stories happening at The Harley School in Rochester, NY.   Graduating senior, Rachel Adler, talks about her college selection process.

Joy In Learning is a podcast highlighting the stories happening at The Harley School in Rochester, NY.   Popular English teacher, Kirsten Reader, discusses teaching middle school and being a role model to her students.