Amy’s Room
How Do You Make All Kinds of Friends?
How Do You Make All Kinds of Friends?
In this week’s episode, we are joined by Natalie Brewster, a dedicated early childhood educator and the visionary founder of All Kinds of Friends. Natalie is on a mission to bridge the growing divide between neurotypical children and those with special needs by fostering inclusion through her interactive workbook, Different Kinds of Friends, and her heart-centered storybook, My Friend Cullen. Inspired by her own son, Cullen, Natalie shares how she is transforming classrooms into spaces where communication differences and "big feelings" are met with understanding rather than hesitation. We explore her journey of building a community dedicated to educating families and teachers on how to help every child—regardless of how their body experiences the world—feel seen, celebrated, and fully included.
The conversation takes a deeply personal turn as Natalie offers a moving testimony about the moment she learned Cullen might have Down syndrome, providing a powerful message of hope for any mother facing the uncertainty of a new diagnosis. We dive into the "beautiful moments of understanding" Natalie has witnessed in the classroom, including the touching story of a little girl in 3K who took Cullen under her wing, creating their own unique language and way of playing together. Accompanied by a soulful Luke Combs song chosen specifically to honor Cullen’s spirit, this episode is a testament to the wonder that differences bring to our lives. Natalie’s story proves that when we open space for real conversations, we give a voice to those who may not yet have the words, replacing fear with a profound sense of hope and belonging.
Miss Amanda Jones
Miss Amanda Jones
In this episode, we sit down with Amanda Jones, a native New Yorker and Harvard Graduate School of Education master’s candidate whose life is a vibrant tapestry of history, education, and hospitality. Amanda takes us through the high-stakes world of New York City education, reflecting on her four years in the classroom—including a remarkable year spent managing thirty kindergartners on her own. We transition from the classroom to the selective world of private school admissions, where Amanda offers a rare glimpse into the process, discussing how a "bad day" can alter a child's path and how equity remains a pressing challenge when traditional requirements inadvertently disqualify marginalized youth.
Central to Amanda’s intellectual journey is her groundbreaking research on The Brownies’ Book, the pioneering 1920s magazine launched by W.E.B. Du Bois, Augustus Granville Dill, and Jessie Redmon Fauset. As one of the only secondary sources on this historic periodical, Amanda’s thesis explores how the magazine used stories and poems to foster pride and self-respect in Black youth. She shares her exciting plans to expand this research into a book, ensuring that the legacy of the first magazine specifically designed for Black children continues to inspire future generations.
Beyond her academic achievements, Amanda shares the personal narratives that shaped her identity, from her parents' beautiful love story to her childhood at the iconic Waldorf Astoria. She paints a vivid picture of meeting children in the hotel lobby and leading them to the grand ballroom, a testament to her lifelong ability to build community. The conversation reaches a heartfelt crescendo as she discusses her father’s legacy in Black entrepreneurship, her mother’s unwavering trust, and a surprise tribute from her partner. From founding Harvard’s first color guard to her work at the Schomburg Center, Amanda embodies a leadership style grounded in history and soaring toward a future in museum education.
The Tribe
The Tribe
In this powerful and intimate episode, we sit down with the members of The Tribe, a cohort of visionary women of color who have served as one another’s support throughout two intense years of study at Harvard. As graduation looms, we explore the profound transition from a space of radical support to a professional world that often feels like the "archaic programs" we’ve worked so hard to disrupt.
The Tribe wasn't just a study group; it was a sanctuary where identity, excellence, and shared struggle met. Now, as these leaders prepare to step into their respective fields—ranging from education reform to organizational leadership—they face a daunting question: How do we navigate spaces that weren't built for us, without the daily presence of the women who sustained us?
Key conversation points include:
The Power of the Collective: Reflecting on how shared identity and "identity work" served as the fuel for academic and professional endurance.
Regulating the Heat of Transition: Discussing the "generational whiplash" of leaving a high-support community to enter traditional professional structures.
The Blueprint for the Future: How the lessons learned within The Tribe can be "stacked" like credentials to build new inclusive spaces in the workforce.
Staying Rooted: Strategies for maintaining the love and guidance provided by this sisterhood even when miles—and different career paths—separate them.
Join us for a heartfelt and strategic discussion on leadership, resilience, and the bittersweet reality of pressing forward into the future while honoring the bond that made the journey possible.
What Happens When You Reward Mistakes?
What Happens When You Reward Mistakes?
In this episode, we sit down with Jessica Gerson, a former math‑anxious student turned educator who refused to let the next generation suffer the same way she did. After years of trial, failure, and deep reflection in the classroom, Jessica built MathQuest—a math enrichment camp that looks nothing like a traditional tutoring center. Instead of rewarding speed, memorization, and perfect answers, MathQuest rewards slow thinking, resilience, mistakes, patterns, and sharing one's ideas. The secret sauce? Critical thinking, productive struggle, and play. Jessica transforms fractions and division into whimsical adventures involving wizards, healing potions, astro nuggets, and stranded astronauts. Children work together on open‑ended tasks that are just a little too hard for them, fail forward, laugh, and then celebrate their brave thinking in front of their families. What emerges is not just math fluency—but a child who believes, "I am someone who can do hard things." This is the story of how one woman turned her own childhood pit‑in‑her‑stomach into a treasure hunt for courage.
Reach out to Jessica, and she can share what she has done to engage Math learners experiencing Math Anxiety.
love-of-learning (Contact Information)
I'm Ready!
I'm Ready!
In this inspiring episode, we sit down with Gabrielle Logan, a visionary educator and the founder of Beyond The Box Education (BTBE) in Barbados. Gabrielle’s journey from a traditional primary school teacher and behavior therapist to a disruptor in the educational space is a masterclass in leadership and resilience. After realizing that "troubled students" were often just students failed by an outdated system, she set out to build something entirely different.
Driven by a "go-getter" spirit that took her across North America to partner with the founders of Big Picture Learning, Gabrielle transformed a small learning center of eight students into the first Big Picture Learning school in the Eastern Caribbean. Today, BTBE serves over 70 students and has become a beacon for regional and international education reform.
Key highlights from our conversation include:
Breaking the Mold: How Gabrielle moved beyond "archaic programs" to create a school that prioritizes student motivation and inclusivity.
The Power of Systemic Change: Why the problem isn't the students, but the systems they are placed in, and how to build a mission-rooted charity to ensure no child is left behind.
Proven Results: A look at the "best practices" in action at BTBE—where high attendance rates and a genuine love for learning prove that when the environment changes, so do the outcomes.
Leading the Way: Gabrielle’s transition into leadership and teacher training, positioning BTBE as a global hub for innovative educational practices.
Join us as we explore how this mother of three and organizational powerhouse is convincing the world to leave the past behind and press forward into the future of education. Check out the school at btbe.org!
Turning a story into a life!
Turning a story into a life!
n this episode of Amy’s Room, we are joined by Irene Berner, a woman who has mastered the art of rewriting her own narrative to build a life of impact and independence. As the founder of Berner Financial Services and a recent partner with Ivy Wealth Management, Irene’s professional credentials—including an MBA and specialized certifications as a CFP® and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst—are just one part of her story.The heart of our conversation explores Irene’s personal journey and how she leveraged her own experiences to fuel a deep passion for empowering other women. We dive into her mission of helping women demystify the world of finance, move past old stories of scarcity or confusion, and step into their own power to achieve true financial freedom.Irene doesn't just talk about endurance; she lives it. Whether she is completing the NYC Marathon, hiking the Grand Canyon for charity, or serving the New Paltz community, she brings a "marathon mindset" to everything she touches. Join us as we discuss how Irene turned her personal history into a roadmap for coaching, guiding, and helping women realize that it is never too late to design the life they want. If you need some life-changing financial information, Irene asks you to reach out. https://www.bernerfinancial.com/ book a meeting with her today!Highlights of the Interview:The Personal Pivot: How Irene turned her life story into a thriving career centered on service.Financial Empowerment: Why educating women is the key to community-wide independence.A Legacy of Leadership: Balancing a high-level financial career with being a doting grandmother and community pillar.
Stay.
Stay.
In this urgent and deeply personal episode of Amy's Room, we move beyond the geopolitical rhetoric and heartbreaking headlines emerging from the Middle East to focus on the people at the heart of it all.
With the recent escalation of attacks in the region, our guest, Joe Campana, joins us live from Beirut, Lebanon. Joe is an American educator who, for nearly eight years, has chosen to make his home in this vibrant, complex, and now embattled city. As the High School Principal at the American Community School of Beirut since 2017, his career has been a testament to the power of understanding culture—from editing the Encyclopedia of Multicultural America to chronicling life in Mumbai's Dharavi community. But today, we ask him a question that weighs heavily on many minds: Why stay?
We sit down with Joe to go beyond his professional title and speak with him as a person—an American living through a crisis far from his passport's origin. What does it mean to be an educator when the world outside your classroom is in turmoil? How does a principal support his students, his teachers, and his own family while navigating the uncertainty of a conflict zone? And for the Americans watching from afar, what is the reality for those who have built their lives there and are choosing to remain?
This is not a policy discussion. It is a human conversation about resilience, community, and the profound decision to stay and bear witness. Join us for a powerful look at the lives behind the news.
Why you need to listen: To hear the voice of an American on the ground, to understand the human reality behind the conflict, and to discover why, for some, staying is the only choice they can make.
Amy's Room
Amy's Room
As "Amy’s Room" celebrates its debut and marks the past two years of exploring learning beyond the classroom, the show continues to honor the profound idea that education is woven into the fabric of human experience. Hosted by educator and storyteller Amy White, each episode transforms the airwaves into an intentional, welcoming space for curiosity and authentic dialogue. The show challenges traditional notions of where and how we learn, reminding us that knowledge is born from experience, struggle, joy, culture, and connection.
In a particularly powerful milestone episode, Amy sits down with Murshid Alam, a Rohingya youth who has survived profound atrocities and channeled his experience into creating the Rohingya Youth Union (RYU) leadership program. This interview, presented as part one of his story, serves as a potent example of the show’s mission: to witness the resilience of the human spirit and to learn from those whose lives are a testament to strength and purpose. As listeners pull up a chair to this special conversation, they are reminded that in Amy’s Room, everyone is both a teacher and a learner, and the lessons we share change how we see the world.
Schedule
Sunday
10:00am - 11:00amAbout the Show
Amy’s Room is a weekly radio show on Radio Kingston WKNY, where learning happens far beyond the classroom.
Hosted by educator and storyteller Amy White, the show invites listeners into a shared space for curiosity, reflection, and real conversation. Each episode features guests whose lived experiences, passions, and paths offer powerful lessons—artists, organizers, parents, thinkers, creators, and everyday people whose stories teach us something essential about how we learn, grow, and make meaning.
Like a great lesson plan, Amy’s Room is intentional. Every episode begins with a guiding question or goal, explores ideas through authentic dialogue and storytelling, and ends with an “exit ticket”—a moment to reflect: What did we learn? What stayed with us? What might we try or think about differently?
The show challenges the idea that learning only happens in formal spaces or in one prescribed way. Instead, Amy’s Roomhonors multiple ways of knowing—through experience, struggle, joy, culture, and curiosity—and reminds us that each of us is both a teacher and a learner.
Pull up a chair. Bring your questions. Stay for the conversation.
“This is Amy’s Room—where learning is human, layered, and changes how we see the world.
Hosted By:
Made in Kingston, NY
