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Care Work Podcast with Alida Miranda-Wolff

Who is in the business of providing tender love and care? What does it mean to get paid to nurture strangers? And, what kind of support do these people need?

In Care Work, author and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging practitioner, Alida Miranda-Wolff, seeks answers to all of these questions with care workers of all kinds through discussions of their lived experiences. Learn how to create a culture of care in your communities and have your own care needs met through episodes that balance real-life stories with actionable takeaways.

Latest Episodes

Two side-by-side headshots, from left: A white woman in a red dress with a black headband and a smiling woman with purple hair and glasses against a natural background with the words "Designing for Neurodiversity Inclusivity" above them.

Designing For Neurodiversity Inclusivity with María Emilia Lasso de la Vega – Episode #25

How can we design inclusive spaces—physically and virtually—that support neurodiversity?

The Disability Justice movement is increasing the recognition and adoption of inclusive spaces and accessible interaction for people who are neurodivergent and on the autism spectrum. It continues, however, to rely largely on individuals to disclose their diagnoses in spaces where they may initially be uncertain of support.

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Two side-by-side headshots, from left: A white woman in a red dress with a black headband and a smiling man wearing glasses and a white shirt against a neutral background with the words "Exploring Inclusive Education Through Storytelling" above them.

Exploring Inclusive Education Through Storytelling with Tim Villegas – Episode #24

How can we show everyone the benefits of inclusive educational spaces?

Tim Villegas is the Director of Communications at the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education. His work centers around helping school systems build support for more inclusive classroom environments, and he sees firsthand the value of spaces where children with different learning styles learn together. These classrooms benefit not only children with disabilities but also typically developing children and their educators.

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A white woman in a red dress with a black headband and a White man with glasses against a purple background with red text above them reading "Exploring Educational Equity from Theory to Practical Application."

Exploring Educational Equity From Theory to Practical Application with Alida Miranda-Wolff – Episode #23, Minisode #5

In the most recent episode arc, the Care Work podcast explores educational equity with guests who are experts in impactful social education for teens, supportive higher education spaces, and inclusive literacy. In this reflective episode, Alida Miranda-Wolff investigates the parallel themes that emerged throughout these episodes to reveal a multi-faceted definition of educational equity and how its integration could create safer spaces for learners of every age.

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Building Toward the Future of Literacy Equity with Ken Bigger – Episode #22

When you think of literacy, what comes to mind? Is it reading, writing, or something else? Our definition of literacy is often oversimplified, much like the limits often placed on the question of who is and who is not “literate”. In this episode, Alida discusses literacy equity with Ken Bigger, the Director of Thought Leadership at the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy.

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Two side-by-side headshots, from left: A white woman in a red dress with a black headband and a Black man wearing a gray fedora and red shirt against a blurred background. Above their photos is red text reading "Reframing Resistance: Reimagining Higher Education."

Reframing Resistance: Reimagining Higher Education with Johnnie Campbell – Episode #21

How can educators create unifying classroom spaces where resistance skills can be safely practiced and cultivated?

This is the “freedom dreaming” Johnnie Campbell and Alida Miranda-Wolff do together in this episode of Care Work. As a resistance scholar, educator, and PhD candidate, Johnnie Campbell is putting in the work to build danger-free, liberatory spaces and explore the way Black young adults experience college. He doesn’t strive to merely observe and record them; rather, he plans to use these learnings to tear down damaging higher education structures and policies and rebuild them. In his vision, higher education institutions will go on to center the experiences of young Black people and remove the arbitrary barriers that cause them to be left out.

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Nurturing Social and Emotional Literacy in Youth with Debra Giunta – Episode #20

What supports would have helped ease your transition to adulthood?

Growing up is hard, and young people are repeatedly faced with circumstances they are expected to understand despite their lack of life experience. Then, in these tedious and confusing scenarios, the choices they make follow them throughout their early academic years.

Debra Giunta is the founder of Prismatic, a youth career development program with a soft-skills twist. She is always seeking ways to close the gap between what we expect of our youth and the supports in place to get them there. Her insights into the most effective ways to set students up for success are transforming the lives of kids.

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Care Work Podcast featured image with host Alida Miranda-Wolff in a red dress and black headband smiling against a blurred outdoor background

Caring For Youth: The Big Impact of Many Small Actions – Episode 19, Minisode #4

How do we tackle the challenges of caring for underserved youth?

In this episode, Alida Miranda-Wolff asks listeners to remember the benefits of taking small steps to build towards greater outcomes. You might not be able to shut down all the youth detention centers in your state tomorrow, but you can hand a homemade lunch out to a neighborhood child who needs one. Maybe the less overwhelming question is: What can you do today to help one child?

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Two side-by-side headshots, from left: A white woman in a red dress with a black headband and a white woman with short blonde hair smiling against a blurred dark gray background. Above their photos is red text reading "Caring for the Criminally Underserved in Our Criminal Justice System."

Caring for the Criminally Underserved in Our Criminal Justice System with Jennifer Soble – Episode #18

How do we care for people trapped in a broken system and still take care of ourselves? This is the question Alida poses to Jennifer Soble, a former public defender, lawyer, and the founder of the Illinois Prison Project. Jennifer’s organization is striving to update the outdated and oppressive laws that govern the U.S. prison system, helping prisoners serving long-term sentences who deserve freedom.

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Facilitating Restorative Justice with Garien Gatewood – Episode #17

Why are we so good at finding problems, but so poor at solving them? This is the question Alida Miranda-Wolff puts to Chicago Deputy Mayor of Community Safety Garien Gatewood and the conversation that spans juvenile justice reform and implementation disconnects to real-life examples from the world of cannabis legalization.

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Care Work Podcast featured image with host Alida Miranda-Wolff

Loneliness, Burnout, and Meeting One Another’s Needs with Alida Miranda-Wolff – Episode #16, Minisode #3

How does loneliness affect your ability to care for others? Loneliness and burnout are endemic in American society these days, and their impact on care workers and, by extension, the people they care for, is significant.

In this episode, Alida Miranda-Wolff questions the widespread belief that creators, specifically, are unable to form meaningful relationships. She expands this concept to explore the detrimental effects of loneliness and offers actionable recommendations for developing belonging and community that will enhance our personal and professional relationships.

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Building a More Equitable Future with Minal Bopaiah – Episode #15

How would the professional world change if it were truly equitable? And what would this mean for women-identifying people, specifically?

In this episode, Alida talks with Minal Bopaiah, the founder of a groundbreaking DEI-focused design and strategy firm and the author of Equity: How to Design Organizations Where Everyone Thrives.

They explore the idea of a future where the system prioritizes the care of its citizens instead of relying on individuals—namely care workers—to carry out this vital but often unpaid and usually underappreciated role.

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The Importance of Building Community to Create Change with Kim Hunt – Episode #14

When gathering a community together, how do you make sure every experience is celebrated and every voice is heard?

On this episode of the Care Work podcast, join your host Alida Miranda-Wolff as she talks with Kim Hunt, an activist and community initiative facilitator, about ensuring every citizen is heard and valued in the effort to enact social change. Together they explore the winding road that brought Kim to this important work.

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