Moving Forward: Conversations on Culture, Identity, Healing, and HopeEpisode Title: Youth-Led Innovation, Environmental Justice, and Hope with Eco Innovate

In this powerful and deeply inspiring episode of Moving Forward, host Linda Anderson sits down with four remarkable high school students — Pooja, Sai, Harshitha, and Lisa — leaders of the youth-powered organization Eco Innovate.

This conversation centers on what becomes possible when young people are trusted to lead.

At the intersection of sustainability, technology, and the arts, Eco Innovate is redefining environmental action through creativity, data, and community connection. Through their Birdboxers Project, these students have implemented more than 15 autonomously monitoring birdboxes across California, collecting 40,000+ real-world climate and wildlife data points to support conservation and research. Through Brushstrokes for the Bay, they have transformed public spaces with youth-designed murals that raise awareness, spark dialogue, and heal climate anxiety through art.

But this episode goes beyond impressive statistics.

It explores identity, belonging, leadership, responsibility, healing, and hope — and what it truly means for young people to see themselves as changemakers in real time.What You’ll Hear in This Episode

Origin Stories & Purpose

• The moment Eco Innovate was born — and why it had to exist

• What draws young people to environmental justice work

• How problem-solving, creativity, and belonging fuel purpose

Impact, Skill & Identity

• The power of knowing your work may influence real scientists

• What youth-led teaching makes possible that adults sometimes miss

• How art helps process and heal climate anxiety

• Staying hopeful in an uncertain future

Community, Trust & Growth

• What it feels like when adults invest financially in youth vision

• Being underestimated — and rising anyway

• The emotional impact of public art and a growing audience

• Discovering personal power through collective action

Healing, Hope & Legacy

• What this work has healed in each of them

• How they imagine their future selves

• The legacy they hope to leave — through data, murals, and movement

Why This Conversation MattersThis episode is a reminder that:

• Innovation has no age requirement

• Identity can be a powerful source of purpose

• Environmental healing starts in classrooms, neighborhoods, code, and canvas

• Hope is not passive — it is something we actively build together

As Linda reflects in the closing, “The future isn’t something we wait for — it’s something we build, teach, paint, code, and believe into being.”

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LinkedIn: @Linda Anderson

Music by Maksym_Dudchyk from Pixabay

Podcast produced by Ury Gonzalez

Learning Through Story, Service, and Shared Voice

In this powerful 15th episode of Moving Forward, host Linda Anderson sits down with internationally recognized author, consultant, and thought leader Cathryn Berger Kaye, M.A., President of CBK Associates.

Cathryn’s work has shaped how educators, leaders, and organizations understand service learning, student voice, and learning through story. In this conversation, she invites us to rethink learning as something deeply human—rooted in relationships, reflection, listening, and purposeful action.

Linda and Cathryn explore how story opens understanding, how service deepens connection, and how learning through service extends far beyond classrooms into communities, public institutions, and the private sector.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear:

• Cathryn’s early professional journey and the experiences that shaped her purpose-driven work

• Why learning is about more than content—and how relationships and real-world issues transform understanding

• How reading helps learners see themselves and others more clearly

• What true listening looks like in collaborative spaces—and why it’s essential for meaningful change

• How teams can move from compliance to collective ownership and shared voice

• The role of story and reflection in turning service into deep, transformative learning

• How service learning empowers individuals across education, public service, and private organizations

• Ways dialogue and reflection create healing and trust within school communities

• Simple, practical ways educators can begin integrating story and service—starting tomorrow

• Cathryn’s hopes for the future of education and learning centered on empathy, collaboration, and purpose

A Key TakeawayLearning is not confined to classrooms. It lives in our stories, our relationships, and our willingness to listen and serve.

As you listen, consider:

• Where might a story open new understanding in your life or work?
  

• Where might service deepen connection?
  

• And whose voice is waiting to be heard?

Listen & SubscribeBe sure to follow Moving Forward and return to previous episodes for more conversations centered on culture, identity, healing, and hope. New episodes drop weekly.

Thank you for being part of this growing community.

Instagram: @lluande1

Facebook: @Linda Unrath-Anderson

LinkedIn: @Linda Anderson

Music by Maksym_Dudchyk from Pixabay

Podcast produced by Ury Gonzalez

Love, Loss, and Legacy: A Family Conversation

“Today, on Curtis’s birthday, we honor the man whose love helped us navigate the intersections of culture, identity, and family—and whose spirit continues to bring healing and hope to our lives.”

In this special and deeply personal episode of Moving Forward, the microphones turn toward Linda Anderson as her three adult children—Lindsay (38), Sr. Program Manager & Chief of Staff at Logitech; Kyle (37), Store Director at Target; and Eric (37), Senior On-Figure Photographer at GAP—interview her about their father, Curtis, and the life, love, and resilience that shaped their family.

Together, they revisit how Linda and Curtis first met, the joy and promise of their early years, and the strength Curtis carried while living with sickle cell disease. Their questions open a heartfelt dialogue about caregiving, parenting through hardship, and the quiet sacrifices that often go unseen. Linda reflects on the moments that tested her, the acts of love that sustained her, the lessons she learned, and the legacy Curtis left—one that continues through their children and grandchildren.

This episode is tender, honest, and healing. It is a celebration of a love story lived fully, even in the face of profound challenges.

Some Conversation Highlights

• How Linda and Curtis first met and the memories that shaped their early years
  

• The qualities Curtis embodied as he lived with sickle cell
  

• The emotional and practical realities of caregiving while raising three children
  

• What Linda hoped her children understood about their family’s journey
  

• Moments of overwhelm—and what helped her keep going
  

• The greatest acts of love given and received during Curtis’s illness
  

• The final weeks: his hopes, his worries, and the moments Linda holds closest
  

• How Curtis’s legacy continues to guide their family today

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LinkedIn: @Linda Anderson

Music by Maksym_Dudchyk from Pixabay

Podcast produced by Ury Gonzalez

In this episode of Moving Forward: Conversations on Culture, Identity, Healing, and Hope, Linda Anderson sits down with Dr. Tracie Tagamolila-Noriega — a proud second-generation Filipino-American, former teen mom, and one of the few Filipino-Americans serving at the cabinet level in California public education.

With nearly 30 years as a teacher, principal, district leader, Assistant Superintendent, and now ACSA’s Senior Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Professional Learning, Tracie has dedicated her career to building equitable and culturally responsive systems for students, families, and communities. She also leads the Filipino American Educators Association of California and co-hosts the Critically Conscious Classroom show.

Together, we explore how identity shapes leadership, why representation matters, and how healing-centered practices can transform teams and systems. Tracie shares how she broke generational and systemic patterns, how Ethnic Studies influenced her leadership, and what leaders in any field can do to create culturally affirming spaces where people feel seen, valued, and able to thrive.

Key themes in this conversation include:

• Identity as a source of strength
  

• Representation and visibility in leadership
  

• Healing-centered and critically conscious leadership
  

• Creating culturally affirming environments
  

• Staying rooted in purpose during challenging seasons
  

• Lifting others and opening doors as you lead
  

Tracie’s journey is a powerful reminder that healing is real, identity is transformative, and purpose can guide us through even the most difficult chapters.

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LinkedIn: @Linda Anderson

Music by Maksym_Dudchyk from Pixabay

Podcast produced by Ury Gonzalez

In this powerful episode of Moving Forward: Conversations on Culture, Identity, Healing, and Hope, Linda Anderson sits down with James Gonzales, CEO of Pathway Services, whose life journey—from trauma, addiction, incarceration, and homelessness to healing, faith, and leadership—reveals what true transformation looks like. With honesty and compassion, James shares how he broke painful cycles, rebuilt his life from the inside out, and turned his lived experience into a calling to serve others navigating homelessness and instability.

This conversation offers hope for anyone who has ever felt stuck, ashamed, or overwhelmed by their past.

James reminds us: healing is possible, change is possible, and there is always a pathway forward. James talks about resilience, self-judgment, surrender, and what it looks like to keep going on days when moving forward simply means not going backward.

Some quotes from the podcast:

“My story wasn’t a straight line. It was survival first—healing came later.”

“I had to unlearn the lies I believed about myself before I could step into the truth.”

“Change didn’t start with perfection. It started with surrender.”

A Message from Linda:

James’ story is a testament to resilience, faith, and the sacred power of reclaiming your narrative. His insights will stay with you long after the episode ends.

Pathways to Services Development is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in California’s Tri-Cities, dedicated to empowering underserved individuals and families by fostering healing, stability, and purpose. Rooted in lived experience, peer support, and faith-driven care, Pathways builds safe, compassionate environments where people can reclaim their lives and move toward long-term transformation. Their holistic, trauma-informed approach emphasizes connection before correction, stable housing as a foundation for growth, and turning stories of struggle into leadership and service. Through crisis intervention, life skills development, mentorship, supportive housing initiatives, and community partnerships, Pathways works to dismantle barriers, strengthen resilience, and cultivate lasting change for those navigating recovery and life transitions.

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Music by Maksym_Dudchyk from Pixabay

Podcast produced by Ury Gonzalez

In this episode of Moving Forward: Conversations on Culture, Identity, Healing, and Hope, Linda Anderson talks with award-winning historian and author Ann Bausum about her powerful new book, White Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War, Then Rewrote the History.

Ann grew up in Lexington, Virginia—the heart of Lost Cause mythology—and the daughter of a college history professor. Surrounded by monuments and messages that glorified the Confederacy, she spent her childhood reading, writing, collecting stories, and developing a fascination with history and current events. Those early experiences—segregated schools, integrated classrooms, and a front-row seat to the civil rights era—sparked a lifelong commitment to uncovering truth and creating books that challenge inherited myths.

With seven starred reviews, White Lies exposes the most successful propaganda campaign in American history and reveals how distorted narratives about the Civil War continue to shape textbooks, monuments, and national identity.

In our conversation, we explore:

• How Ann’s Southern upbringing inspired this book
  

• The 20 “white lies” at the heart of the Lost Cause
  

• Why myths like “the Civil War was about states’ rights” persist
  

• How misinformation shapes young people and communities
  

• What personal reckoning looks like when history contradicts family tradition
  

• Where Ann sees examples of truth-telling, healing, and hope
  

White Lies is written for teens but essential for readers of every age who want to understand how history gets rewritten—and how truth can help us move forward

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Music by Maksym_Dudchyk from Pixabay

Podcast produced by Ury Gonzalez

In this episode of Moving Forward: Conversations on Culture, Identity, Healing, and Hope, Linda Anderson sits down with Dr. Anthony Muhammad—one of the most influential voices in education and organizational culture.

A former teacher and award-winning principal, Dr. Muhammad helped transform Levey Middle School into a National School of Excellence, where student proficiency more than doubled in five years. Today, as CEO of New Frontier 21 Consulting, he supports schools and organizations across the globe in building healthier, more inclusive cultures.

Together, we explore:

• What healthy culture looks like—and why it matters in every field
  

• How leaders can heal divisions and rebuild trust
  

• The role identity plays in creating belonging
  

• Practical strategies for collaboration and equity
  

• What gives Dr. Muhammad hope about the future of leadership
  

Whether you’re an educator, a leader, or someone committed to building stronger communities, this conversation offers powerful insight into how real change happens—and how each of us can begin moving forward with courage, clarity, and hope.

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LinkedIn: @Linda Anderson

Music by Maksym_Dudchyk from Pixabay

Podcast produced by Ury Gonzalez

Guests: Norma Rodarte, School Counselor Vidushi Agrawal, High School Senior and Student Leader

“The seeds we plant—through service, hope, and care—continue to grow long after we’ve moved on.”

🌿 Episode OverviewIn this heartfelt episode, host Linda Anderson reconnects with two inspiring changemakers—Norma Rodarte and Vidushi Agrawal—whose shared vision transformed an idea into a sanctuary of belonging. The Wellness Room at Oliveira Elementary School was once a dream Linda envisioned during her time as principal: a space where students and staff could pause, breathe, and heal. That dream has taken shape through the compassionate collaboration of Norma and Vidushi.

Together, they share how empathy, mentorship, and student leadership can create ripples of healing that extend far beyond the classroom.

💬 In This Episode

• How a high school student and a school counselor partnered to bring a dream to life
  

• The “Through Your Lens” philosophy and its power to honor every individual’s story
  

• The role of culture, identity, and compassion in creating inclusive school communities
  

• Lessons on trust, teamwork, and growth across generations
  

• How student voice can lead lasting change in education
  

🌸 About the GuestsNorma Rodarte is a compassionate school counselor at Oliveira Elementary, known for her “Through Your Lens” approach to supporting students and staff. Her work centers on empathy, belonging, and emotional wellness—helping children see themselves as valued and capable.

Vidushi Agrawal is a high-school senior whose leadership, creativity, and commitment to service have inspired peers and mentors alike. Her Gold Award project brought the Wellness Room to life, blending her passions for science, service, and the arts into a lasting contribution to her community.

💫 Key Themes

• Culture & Identity: Understanding how lived experiences shape connection and inclusion.
  

• Healing & Hope: Creating physical and emotional spaces that nurture resilience.
  

• Mentorship & Student Voice: The transformative power of intergenerational collaboration.
  

🕊️ Closing ReflectionAs Linda shares in the outro, “Even in retirement, seeing this vision come to life reminds me that the seeds we plant continue to grow long after we’ve moved on.” This episode reminds listeners that purpose transcends position—and that when we lead with compassion, we create spaces that heal hearts and inspire others to do the same.

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Facebook: @Linda Unrath-Anderson

LinkedIn: @Linda Anderson

Music by Maksym_Dudchyk from Pixabay

Podcast produced by Ury Gonzalez