In this powerful and deeply human conversation, Ginger and Julie sit down with Josh Novick—licensed therapist, educator, national speaker, and founder of Trust & Grow Consulting—to explore what it truly takes to create safer, more connected school communities in the wake of violence.Josh brings both professional expertise and lived experience in recovery, grounding this conversation in courage, compassion, and the belief that we heal better together. As an ambassador for Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence, Josh bridges policy and practice, elevating youth voice while advocating for educator wellness and sustainable change.In This Episode, we Explore:Josh’s personal journey and what led him into the work of ending gun violence in schoolsThe importance of trust, relationship, and naming—including how we think about and label spaces like “resource rooms”Supporting educator wellness About Trust & Grow ConsultingJosh is the founder of Trust & Grow Consulting, where the mission is clear: help schools, nonprofits, and mission-driven organizations create trauma-informed, socially and emotionally intelligent spaces that foster healing and connection.https://trustandgrow.org/Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence-https://www.teachersunify.org/

What does it really mean to help students learn how to learn—especially in systems that were never designed with all learners in mind?

In this powerful conversation, Ginger and Julie are joined by Zaretta Hammond, nationally recognized consultant, educator, and author, to explore how culturally responsive teaching, neuroscience, and instructional equity intersect. Together, they unpack why rigor and care are not opposites, how learning power is built (or blocked) by systems, and what educators can do to move beyond compliance toward true cognitive justice.

Zaretta brings over 25 years of experience supporting schools and systems in understanding the science of learning, the science of reading, and culturally responsive practices, offering both big-picture insight and practical wisdom educators can use right away.

Zaretta Hammond is a national consultant, former high school and community college writing teacher, and a leading voice in culturally responsive education. She is the author of:

• Rebuilding Students’ Learning Power: Teaching for Instructional Equity and Cognitive Justice (Corwin, 2025)

• Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students (Corwin, 2015)

• 🌐 Zaretta Hammond’s website: https://ready4rigor.com/

• 📘 Rebuilding Students’ Learning Power: https://a.co/d/0AYfVe2

• 📗 Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain: https://a.co/d/9XHihth

In this heartfelt and reflective episode, Julie Beem and Ginger Healy return to a profound conversation from Season 1 with the late Cissy White—trauma survivor, fierce advocate, and the originator of the term Joy Stalking.

As the world faces rising despair and isolation, Julie and Ginger explore what it means to stalk, savor, and sustain joy—especially in the face of pain, trauma, and fear. Drawing from Cissy’s wisdom, Brene Brown’s research, theological insights, and their own personal journeys, they unpack how joy can be a radical act of healing and resistance.

You’ll discover why joy is not the same as happiness, how trauma can block joy, and why cultivating even the tiniest moments of joy might just be one of the most important things we can do—for ourselves, our children, and our communities.

“Joy stalking is always healing and useful. It’s about savoring life through sensing, using my body, absorbing, feeling all the good stuff.” — Cissy White

“Joy isn’t the opposite of sadness. It’s the opposite of fear.” — Anne Robertson via Brené Brown

“Joy doesn’t betray but sustains activism… joy is a fine initial act of insurrection.” — Rebecca Solnit

“We can’t experience joy when we’re scanning for danger. Trauma blocks joy—but healing invites it back in.” — Julie & Ginger