The SDG Warriors Podcast: Recent Episodes
Simar Mohanty
The SDG Warriors are a team of passionate #StudentChangemakers and #STEMinists on a mission to meet the Global Goals by 2030, using the power of STEM and 21CLD embedded in curriculums across the globe.
In this episode of the SDG Warriors Podcast, we are joined by Jack Sim - the visionary founder of the World Toilet Organization. Renowned as "Mr. Toilet," he has dedicated his life to eradicating the global sanitation crisis. With unwavering determination, Mr. Jack has transformed a taboo subject into a global movement, inspiring millions to prioritize sanitation as a fundamental human right. From humble beginnings to international acclaim, Mr. Jack's journey is a testament to the power of human ingenuity and compassion. Join us as we discover how his innovative strategies, coupled with a relentless pursuit of change, are revolutionizing lives and shaping a healthier planet!
đ Link to Mr. Toilet: The Worldâs #2 Man | Official Trailer: https://youtu.be/lgfvED5KYAo?si=MFOG-I_gasJHJoij
đ Link to World Toilet Organization: https://worldtoilet.org/
đ Link to World Toilet Day: https://www.un.org/en/observances/toilet-day
In this episode of the SDG Warriors Podcast, we are joined by Ms. Olga Kazarina - a trailblazing EdTech specialist and ISTE Community Leader. Recognized as an ISTE 20 to Watch Winner in 2024, Ms. Olga is a Digital Learning Coach and Google for Education Champion. Passionate about bridging the digital divide, she has dedicated her career to empowering educators and inspiring students. Through innovative tech integration and a focus on student-centered learning, she's driving positive change in classrooms worldwide. Join us as we explore Ms. Olga's inspiring journey, her expertise in building inclusive learning environments, and her vision for the future of education!
đ Link to follow Ms. Olga: https://www.instagram.com/o_lgakazarina/
In this episode of the SDG Warriors Podcast, we are joined by Dr. Emma Camp - the Team Leader of the Future Reefs Team at the University of Technology Sydney. Dr. Emmaâs groundbreaking research focuses on the physiology, ecology, and bio-geochemistry of coral reefs, exploring how environmental changes impact coral fitness and survival. Her work spans from molecular signatures to broad ecological interactions, aiming to develop innovative solutions for preserving and rebuilding healthy reefs. A passionate advocate for women in STEM, Dr. Emma is also a National Geographic Explorer and a TIME Magazine Next Generation Leader. Join us as we discover how her discoveries in extreme coral environments are shaping the future of reef conservation!
In this episode of the SDG Warriors Podcast, we are joined by Ms. Anna Dyagileva - a seasoned Language Teacher and YouTuber with over 13 years of teaching experience. She has been teaching students virtually for more than 12 years and also offers professional development courses for schools. As a passionate advocate for inclusive and accessible learning, her main goal in teaching is to create a safe space where every learner feels included and empowered. She is the founder of #teachersloveEDU and believes that "Every child has the right to quality education and learning."
đ Link to Ms. Anna's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AnnaDyagileva
In this episode of the SDG Warriors Podcast, we are joined by Dr. Kaylah Holland. Dr. Holland serves as the Director of Instructional Technology and Blended Learning at BreakFree Education. In this role, she enhances educational opportunities for students in juvenile justice facilities across the U.S., guiding them towards success in both academics and personal growth. Dr. Holland holds a Doctorate in Education specializing in Instructional Design and Technology, with a focus on creating active learning environments. Her dedication to educational innovation is reflected in her credentials as a Google Certified Innovator, Trainer, and Coach, as well as her role as a college professor and ISTE Community Leader. She was honored with the '20 to Watch' award by ISTE in 2022 and was named as a Featured Voice for ISTE in 2024. Dr. Holland is the author of 'Putting Out Fires: A Framework for Solving Problems in Your Classroom or School', which provides practical strategies for educators addressing everyday challenges.
đ Link to BreakFree Education: https://www.breakfree-ed.org/
In this episode of the SDG Warriors Podcast, we are joined by Matt Miller - with over a decade of experience in the classroom, Mr. Miller is known as the 'Head Textbook Ditcher' and has created unique learning experiences for his students through technology and creative teaching methods. He has transformed teaching practices through his books like Ditch That Textbook, Ditch That Homework, Don't Ditch that Tech & Tech Like A Pirate to name a few. As a Google-Certified Innovator, he holds a mark of distinction for the cutting-edge use of G Suite tools in the classroom. Recognized as one of the top 10 influencers in educational technology and eLearning worldwide, Matt provides practical, âuse it in class tomorrowâ solutions to meet teachers' needs, helping them focus on keeping education and learning relevant.
đ Link to Ditch That Textbook: https://ditchthattextbook.com/
In this episode of the SDG Warriors Podcast, we are joined by Dr. Andy Lewis, a professional marine scientist with a Ph.D. in coral reef ecology from James Cook University. He is the Founder and Executive Director of the Coral Sea Foundation. Over the past decade, Dr. Lewis has managed ecotourism activities aboard the expedition vessel True North, surveying reefs and collaborating with First Nations people across diverse tropical locations, including the Great Barrier Reef, Raja Ampat, West Papua, the Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea. An expert underwater photographer, Andyâs passion for the reefs, islands, and people of the Coral Sea Arc is evident in his dedication to marine conservation and sustainable reef management.
đ Link to Coral Sea Foundation: https://coralseafoundation.net/
đ Link to Sea Women of Melanesia: https://www.seawomen.net/
In this episode of the SDG Warriors Podcast, we are joined by Jane Ji - co-founder of Springbay Studio, game designer and producer who advocates for engaging and inquiry-based learning in STEM classrooms. She and her team have created the iBiome series, a set of award-winning games that teach kids about ecosystems and biodiversity. The iBiome games have been recognized by the American Association of School Librarians, Apple, and the United Nations Environment Programme. They have also developed the League for Green Leaders, a gamified learning program that was a finalist for the 2023 Top Ed Tech Product awards by the District Administration magazine. Jane's vision is to make environmental education more empowering, playful, and action-based through game-based learning technology.đ Link to League for Green Leaders: https://springbaystudio.com/league-for-green-leaders/đ Link to Dr. Jane Goodall's Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8v9MvManKE
In this episode of the SDG Warriors Podcast, we are joined by Vikrant Kirar - an entrepreneur, filmmaker, and YouTuber. He is an IIT Kharagpur graduate and has been creating free educational content on his YouTube channel Crashup.đ Link to Vikrant Sir's Channel: https://youtube.com/crashup
Ben Forta is Adobeâs Senior Director of Education Initiatives. His primary responsibility focuses on students, both K-12 and higher-ed, with an eye towards digital and visual literacy, and the role that Adobe services and tools play in the future of communication and storytelling. Mr. Forta gets to spend a considerable amount of time teaching, talking, and writing about Adobe products, and providing feedback to help shape the future direction of the products.
Mr. Forta is also an author, with over 900,000 books in print, written on SQL (including the best-selling SQL book of all time), classroom creativity with Adobe Spark, Python, Regular Expressions, ColdFusion, Windows development, JSP, and more - many of which have been translated into 16 languages.
Website - https://forta.com/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/benforta
Michael Cohen, The Tech Rabbi, is a designer, educator and creativity instigator. His mission is to help educators around the world reveal their own creative abilities so they can empower students to solve interesting problems and become positive contributors to our global society. He is the Co-Founder of Ed3DAO powered by Ed3Educators, author of the book Educated By Design, which outlines his principles for revealing and nurturing our innate creative courage and capacity. He is a national keynote speaker, advisor, and trainer. When he isnât traveling the world sharing his message, he serves as the director of innovation for Hebrew Academy of Miami, where he leads STEAM and Entrepreneurship initiatives and programs.
Website - https://www.thetechrabbi.com/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/thetechrabbi
Educated By Design - https://techrabbi.me/buythebook
The eTwinz, Mr. Alberto and Mr. Mario were born and raised in Salamanca, Spain. They graduated from the University of Valladolid with a bachelorâs in education and after graduating, they moved to Utah (United States) to start their teaching careers. The Herraez Twins taught 5th and 6th grade at Canyon Creek Elementary School in Farmington for 7 years & their innovative practices in the classroom was recognized by many organizations like UCET that granted Mr. Alberto with the âOutstanding Young Educator of the Year Awardâ and DSD that honored the eTwinz with the âBest of Davis Awardâ. In 2020, WE Charity awarded the eTwinz with the âWE Teacher Awardâ for their work in the Social and Emotional field and their serving learning practices. The International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE) awarded them with the â2022 20 to Watch Awardâ, that recognizes emerging leaders around the world who make a difference through their work and exemplified excellence. During their time in Utah, the Herraez brothers founded the "eTwinz" brand. Since 2018, the twins carried their brand around the five continents helping many teachers, schools and organizations to transform their practices through technology and cutting-edge approaches. Mr. Alberto and Mr. Mario also founded the eTwinz Academy with the intention of providing learners around the world with high-quality education.
eTwinz Academy - https://www.etwinzacademy.com/
Website - https://www.etwinz.com/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/eTwinzEDU
Yaritza Villalba is the President and Founder of YV Educational Resources Inc. and has twelve years of experience in education. She started her career teaching Social Studies to over-aged and under-credited high school students in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York. Throughout the years, she has developed culturally relevant resources for teachers and parents & later became an Assistant Principal of an Expeditionary Learning School where she furthered her knowledge of project based learning and mastery based assessments. Ms. Yaritza is currently an Educator Innovation Lead at Flipgrid, Microsoft and her overall mission is to provide an array of strategies and resources that spark critical thinking and meaningful conversations in and out of the classroom. Ms. Villalba has authored the McKenzieâs Adventures Series consisting of 3 books - McKenzieâs Time Machine, McKenzieâs Bisabuela and La Bisabuela De McKenzie.
Twitter - https://twitter.com/inc_yv
Website - https://www.mckenziesadventures.com/
Paul Sokoloff is a senior research assistant in botany and a member of the Arctic Flora of Canada and Alaska project. His work boils down to cataloguing plant and lichen biodiversity in the Arctic and beyond. On any given day, Mr. Paul may be in a faraway place doing field work, in the museum's herbarium studying specimens, or taking part in outreach activities on behalf of the museum.Â
Mr. Sokoloff first came to the Canadian Museum of Nature as a master's student under the supervision of a Research Scientist - he determined that the Fernald's milkvetch is not a plant species of its own. Two days after submitting his thesis, he was on a plane bound for Victoria Island in the Western Canadian Arctic as a museum field assistant and he hasn't looked back since. Since then, Mr. Paul has embarked on nine Arctic expeditions with the museum, and has participated in multiple biological expeditions at the Mars Desert Research Station. Today, he works as a Botanist, a Mars Analog Researcher, and a Science Communicator.
Twitter - https://twitter.com/paul_sokoloff
Dr. Tammara Soma is the Research Director and Co-Founder of the Food Systems Lab - the first Social Innovation Lab tackling Food Systems and Food Waste issues in Canada. She is an Assistant Professor at the School of Resource and Environmental Management at Simon Fraser University where she conducts research on issues pertaining to food system planning, community-based research, waste management and the circular economy. Prior to SFU, Dr. Tammara was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Geography and Planning at the University of Toronto, and the Food Equity Coordinator at New College (University of Toronto). Her dissertation investigated the factors that influence urban household food consumption and food wasting practices in Indonesia, and the ways in which food systems consideration can improve urban planning decision-making.
Twitter - https://twitter.com/TammaraSoma
Ms. Tisha Poncio is currently a Digital Learning Specialist at Wakelet with a strong track record of building relationships and connecting professionals globally. Ms. Poncio is a M.S. Learning Technologies/Instructional Design, and has served in education for the last 21 years. She has led students in the classroom teaching English, Web Design, Graphic Design, Business Computers, Programming, and Broadcast Journalism. Ms. Tisha has also led educators, students, and administrators as a digital learning coach for 12 years. She is a Google Certified Trainer, and a Flipgrid, Wakelet, and Buncee Ambassador. Ms. Tisha's biggest accomplishment to date has been the creation of a student-led technology leadership group that helps her present globally on student voice, empowerment, and the #StudentsCANlead movement.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TxTechChick
Learn more about the 6Cs with the Wakelet Student Ambassador Program: https://community.wakelet.com/studentambassadors/
Ms. Rosa VĂĄsquez Espinoza is a National Geographic Explorer, chemical biologist & a conservationist. Of Peruvian-Andean descent, Ms. Rosa grew up learning about traditional medicine from her grandmother in the plant-based "pharmacy" she created in the family's backyard. Today, she travels to some of the most extreme natural environments of the Amazon Rainforest searching for unique microorganisms that could make our lives better.
During her Ph.D., Ms. Rosa created MicroAmazon, a multidisciplinary project that explores the fascinating microscopic universe of one of the worldâs largest thermal rivers, the Boiling River of the Peruvian Amazon. In addition to documenting new âextremeâ microbes to expand our knowledge of Amazonian biodiversity and evolution and strengthen conservation policies, MicroAmazon aims to identify new molecules that could potentially be used in medicine, agriculture, reforestation and cosmetics, as well as new biocatalysts for use in sustainable, green chemistry.
Ms. Rosa is a compelling storyteller and has participated in international campaigns with National Geographic & Disney on the recycling of common plastics (in collaboration with PepsiCo) and sustainability and natural products in the beauty industry (in collaboration with Garnier/LâOrĂ©al). She is the recipient of the 2020 American Chemical Society CAS Leadership Award, which recognizes outstanding PhD students and postdoctorate fellow that demonstrate promise as leaders in their fields. Her research has been featured in Science Friday â20 Top Stories of 2020â, National Association of Science Writers, ASBMB Today, National Geographic, Andina PerĂș and more.
Website - https://www.rosavespinoza.com/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/rosavespinoza
Ms. Ann Kozma is an Educator Innovation Lead at Flipgrid, passionate about education technology and amplifying student voice. Prior to this, Ms. Ann was a Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) supporting both teachers and students with the innovative and instructional use of technology for 4 years and a 1st Grade Teacher for 10 years. She enjoys helping others learn how to integrate tech to transform teaching and learning. Ms. Kozma has been part of the Apple Distinguished Educators, Class of 2015 and is a Leading Edge Certified Professional Learning Leader. Ms. Ann loves photography, traveling, reading in her hammock and always 'plays to learn'.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/annkozma723
Dr. James Nickells is a medical doctor, an Anesthetist at the North Bristol NHS Trust and a British Portrait Artist specializing in emotional portraiture painted in ink and is the Founder of The Global Portrait Project - an artistic project raising awareness on global positive environmental activity. Over the next 4 years, Mr. James will paint 193 portraits. He has also been a Medical Illustrator for a number of books on Medicine.Â
Follow the Global Portrait Project:
Website - https://globalportraitproject.com/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYCDkHfKLEwG8hE-GEdbnpw
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/globalportraitproject/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesNickells
Mr. Tim Black is a National Geographic Certified Educator with more than 12 years of teaching experience in England, Thailand and France. Passionate about the SDGs, Mr. Tim manages BitesizeSDGs, an online platform that provides people with daily provocations to promote critical thinking around the Global Goals and cultivate an Explorer Mindset.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tblackTAB
BitesizeSDGs: https://twitter.com/bitesizeSDGs
Ms. Astrid Hsu is a Sustainability Integration Manager at The Walt Disney Company and has been a marine biologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She uses remote sensing tools to study mangroves in Mexico and also educates the public about climate solutions, bringing science to stakeholders and decision-makers. Ms. Hsu focuses on engaging community members with marine conservation and sustainability, and she leverages storytelling to communicate science and inspire environmental stewardship. Ms. Astrid specializes in interdisciplinary ocean literacy, approaching marine conservation and climate change issues from numerous angles. She leads the effort to monitor Mexican mangroves using drones and working with Mexico's National Commission of Natural Protected Areas to train their representatives in using similar imaging tools. Ms. Astrid has also developed Bending the Curve: Climate Change Solutions, a global curriculum that equips students with the tools to develop their own climate change solutions. Ms. Hsu had earned both her B.S. in marine biology with a minor in science education and her M.S. in marine biodiversity and conservation at Scripps.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_hsumar
The Dynamic Duo - Jeni Long & Sallee Clark are international speakers, EdTech consultants, bloggers, and authors. They currently serve as Instructional Technologists with Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD. The dynamic duo, known as #Jenallee, is passionate about technology integration and making learning accessible & fun for all! Ms. Jeni has served in education for 23 years as a 6th grade Math Teacher, 7-12 ELA Curriculum Specialist, Technology Integration Specialist and a Science Curriculum Specialist, & Ms. Sallee has served in education for 16 years as a Pre-Kindergarten Teacher, Elementary Librarian, K-12 District Librarian, & Instructional Technologist. Ms. Jeni & Ms. Salleé together co-host a YouTube show called The Jenallee Show. Their blog and YouTube show highlight the newest EdTech tools and offer tech tutorials for teachers and educators across the globe. Between the two of them, they have over 40 years in education and have presented at BETT, TCEA, FETC, ISTE, and various other local conferences. They are both MIE Experts, Minecraft Trainers, Ed to the Max Consultants, as well as ambassadors for Wakelet, Buncee, Genially, Adobe, and Flipgrid. In addition, #Jenallee has published articles with Tech & Learning and they recently released their first book titled The Microsoft Teams Playbook.
Website: https://thejenalleeshow.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jenallee1
Jenallee's New Book: https://amzn.to/2ZtSHJJ
Tanya Avrith is an advocate for Student Voice & believes in the power of storytelling in Education. She has seen stories help kids like us! explore their creativity, construct their identities and connect with others first-hand â a principle that Ms. Avrith has the privilege of spreading with the help of Adobe Education, as their Education Evangelist. As a teacher, Ms. Tanya integrated technology with purpose â believing that todayâs stories are best told and shared with the help of tech tools. Her work with education technology led to a collaboration with a Superintendent to bring a digital citizenship program and best practices district-wide. Their program created a tech-positive culture across the school district and was lauded by parents within the community, local news, EdTech researchers, and in the seminal work âDigital Citizenship for Schoolsâ. Ms. Tanyaâs desire to learn and grow within education technology is insatiable. She completed an MA in EdTech and continued to seek out programs like Apple Distinguished Educator, Google Certified Innovator, and Adobe Education Leader to deepen her knowledge and curiosity. She can often be seen speaking at national and regional EdTech conferences on stage, in a workshop, or the tradeshow floor. Ms. Avrith canât stop and wonât stop collaborating with teachers and leaders to create more possibilities for students to share their stories. With a passion for using tools with pedagogical purpose, Ms. Tanya co-authored The Google Infused Classroom - A book that has helped thousands of teachers worldwide take their EdTech education into their own hands â where learning truly belongs.
Website: http://www.tanyaavrith.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/tanyaavrith Adobe Creative Educator Program: adobe.ly/ACE
Jesse Hildebrand is a science communicator, broadcaster, event coordinator and nature lover in chief for the BackyardBio global nature campaign. His work focuses on sharing the story of science, the greatest story ever told, with a wide audience, encouraging people to see the world in a new way. Currently, Mr. Hildebrand is the VP of Education for Exploring By The Seat of Your Pants (The SDG Warriors' favorite weekly-adventure!) where he's produced and hosted 1000+ free, live, interactive broadcasts connecting scientists and explorers worldwide with kids.
In 2014, Mr. Jesse created Science Literacy Week, a Canada-wide science festival now run through NSERC that reaches thousands through live programs and resource sharing around key scientific topics including biodiversity, oceans and climate change.
From 2017-2019, he brought the Story Collider live show and podcast to Canada, serving as the Toronto producer, running shows featuring true, personal, vulnerable stories revolving around science.
Website: https://www.jessehildebrand.org/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SciJesse
Mark Kauzlarich is a photographer, multimedia reporter, and National Geographic Explorer based in New York. His recent work focuses on isolation and marginalization in the United States, with a special focus on the rural Midwest. He holds a masterâs in journalism from the University of Missouri and bachelorâs degrees in political science and Middle East studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 2018 he was a nominee for the Ville de Perpignan RĂ©mi Ochlik Award and a winner of the Magenta Foundationâs Flash Forward award. His work has been exhibited across the United States, including twice at Photoville in 2018. Mark speaks and reads two dialects of Arabic. His clients include the New York Times (where he interned in 2015), TIME, CNN, Reuters, the Weather Channel, the Wall Street Journal, Die Zeit, and the Huffington Post.
Website - http://markkauzlarich.com/
Clara GalĂĄn is the Global Community Manager on the Adobe Education K-12 and Higher Education Team. A former teacher of ELA, ESL and Spanish for K-12, she is passionate about the importance of relationships in social-emotional learning and educating the whole child. Prior to joining Adobe, Clara worked building educator communities and professional development content for Amazon Kindle Education, Remind.com, and The George Lucas Educational Foundation. Clara lives in San Francisco and loves learning about education technology and tools to improve the education system.
Twitter: @MsClaraGalan
Become an ACE: https://edex.adobe.com/adobe-creative-educator
Kathi Kersznowski is a Technology Integration Specialist in a public school system located in southern New Jersey. She has worked as an elementary teacher, a special education teacher, a computer teacher, and has a Masterâs Degree in School Administration. Ms. Kathi is a blogger, keynote speaker, and global presenter on various educational technology, global education, STEM/STEAM, and leadership topics. Also, she is an ambassador for several popular EdTech companies, including Wakelet, Flipgrid, Buncee, Seesaw, Genially, Nearpod, and Empatico, & a proud MIEExpert, Master Trainer, Skype Master Teacher, Minecraft Certified Educator, and MIE Fellow. Ms. Kersznowski is well known for being the Co-Author of Sail The 7Cs & the creator of #Fliphunt, #Flipmoji & #DoGoodDucks!
You can find Ms. Kersznowski at:
- Website - https://www.kerszi.com/
- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kerszidotcom/?hl=en
- Twitter - @kerszi
Anselmo Matusse is a PhD candidate in anthropology at the University of Cape Town. His current PhD project is based on Mount Mabo, in central Mozambique, and focuses on the changing relations between local communities and the mountain, which became popular in the media as âGoogle Forestâ after it was put on a conservation map in 2005. He received an Early Career Grant from National Geographic, as well as a scholarship from the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences and a fellowship from the Social Science Research Council.