We are back from the holidays and honored to have Chelsea Devantez in conversation with her "comedy mom", The Second City's Anne Libera, who is also the Director of Comedy Studies for the Theater Department at Columbia College Chicago. Chelsea is an Emmy-nominated TV writer, comedian, and filmmaker. She’s written on Peacock’s Girls5Eva, ABC’s Not Dead Yet, and was the Head Writer on The Problem with Jon Stewart on Apple TV+. She hosts the hit independent podcast Glamorous Trash with Chelsea Devantez covering celebrity memoirs, pop culture and all things Glamorous Trash. Anne Libera is the Director of Comedy Studies for The Second City and is an Associate Professor who coordinates the degree in Comedy Writing and Performance at Columbia College Chicago. She is a resident director for The Second City. Her book, Funnier: A Theory of Comedy with Practical Applications, will be published by Northwestern University press, who also published her first book, The Second City Almanac of Improvisation. For more on Chelsea: Get her book: https://www.chelsearosedevantez.com/the-book URL: www.chelsearosedevantez.com IG: @chelseadevantez Learn about Anne: URL: www.comedystudies.com IG: @anne.libera

When we say that arts educators save the world, we mean it! And these two superheroes are fierce advocates for the necessity of incorporating the arts into all aspects of education. Unsolicited advice: Don’t get in their way. We have RUSSELL GRANET, the President & CEO of New 42, a leading cultural nonprofit whose mission is to make extraordinary performing arts a vital part of everyone’s life from the earliest years onward. And we’ve got the unstoppable JODY GOTTFRIED ARNHOLD, the Founder of Dance Education Laboratory (DEL) at 92NY, a luminary in dance education, and an advocate for her mission, Dance for Every Child.  Find Russell online: Instagram: @newvictorytheater www.new42.org/ www.newvictory.org/ www.linkedin.com/in/russell-granet-9a6108b/ www.linkedin.com/company/the-new-42nd-street-inc./ And Jody: DEL Website: www.danceedlab.com DEL Instagram: @danceedlab/ DEL Facebook: www.facebook.com/DanceEducationLaboratory  NYT Article Celebrating Jody: https://nyti.ms/481DnSL PS Dance! Documentary: https://bit.ly/47Xti9t

On this episode we talk to an Emmy-award winning writer from “The Daily Show.” We talk to a writer from “How I Met Your Mother,” one from “Parks and Recreation,” one from “Veep,” and one from the deeply under appreciated “Bored to Death.” We also reconnect with a friend from our high school with the singing voice of an angel. And my word! It’s all the same person! We are thrilled to introduce you to the brilliant Rachel Axler, who has brought along her teacher from her days at Williams College, award-winning author, Jim Shepard.

As part of the Wisconsin Arts Integration Symposium, we bring you our first LIVE episode! Erica and guest host Dr. Yorel Lashley bring on emcee and educator Sheikia Purple Norris, who has invited her long time "guide, teacher, sister, peer" Toni Blackman to the pod. Toni is an author, poet, educator, public speaker, cultural representative, and advocate "representing the divine feminine for women and girls rocking the mic with authenticity," as well as the creator and founder of the I Rhyme Like a Girl Collective. Follow Sheikia Purple Norris: IG @4purppeople Check out Toni Blackman: www.toniblackman.com IG @toniblackman Learn more about the Wisconsin Arts Integration Symposium https://place.education.wisc.edu/k12-programs/wisconsin-arts-integration-symposium/

Speaking of mentoring, today we speak with artists of the spoken word, rapper and teacher Rich Robbins, along with actor, writer, and comedian Langston Kerman, who together speak highly of their spoken word teacher, poet and educator Peter Kahn from Oak Park and River Forest High School. We'll let the rest speak for itself.  Follow Rich Robbins: Instagram: @richrobbins Twitter: @richr0bbins Website: Spotify: Rich Robbins  Check out Langston Kerman: Instagram: @langstonkerman My Mama Told Me - The Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-momma-told-me/id1523712290  Learn more about Peter Kahn: https://www.poet-educatorpeterkahn.org

A great addition to the Arts Pod, mathematician and author Jordan Ellenberg calculates the multiplicity of areas covered by his mentor, Peggy Pfeiffer, who combined various factors to create a writers salon in their high school. We can only discuss a fraction of their infinite knowledge, but we divide and conquer hosting duties with Dr. Erica Litke, associate professor of mathematics education in the College of Education & Human Development at the University of Delaware. JORDAN ELLENBERG is the John D. MacArthur Professor of Mathematics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research centers on number theory and arithmetic geometry. He is also the author of the New York Times bestsellers How Not To Be Wrong and Shape, the decidedly non-bestselling novel The Grasshopper King, and articles on mathematical topics for The New York Times, The Washington Post, and many other newspapers and magazines. Learn more about Jordan: Website: www.jordanellenberg.com/ Amazon Book Page: www.amazon.com/stores/Jordan-Ellenberg/author/B001K8IUCG DR. ERICA LITKE is an associate professor specializing in mathematics education in the School of Education at the University of Delaware. Her research focuses on understanding and improving instructional quality in mathematics for students in the elementary and secondary grades. Her research has described and analyzed instructional practice in mathematics using observation instruments, connected instructional quality in mathematics to broader policy-related issues in education, and focused on teacher knowledge and professional development. Follow Erica: Twitter @ericalitke Bluesky: @ericalitke.bsky.social

We launch our second season with actress, model, and disability activist Jillian Mercado in conversation with two of her mentors from National Dance Institute: Artistic Director Kay Gayner, who is responsible for the direction of NDI’s In-School Program, which currently serves approximately 6,500 children in New York City schools; and Agnes McConlogue Ferro, a pediatric clinical specialist in physical therapy who, with Ms. Gayner, co-created and co-directs the NDI DREAM Project (Dancers Realize Excellence through Arts and Movement): an inclusion-based movement program focusing on collaboration and participation. Follow Jillian Mercado: IG @jillianmercado Follow National Dance Institute: IG @nationaldanceinstitute X @nationaldance www.nationaldance.org

Erica and Alek look back on the first (and definitely not the last) season of Arts Educators Save The World. They answer some listener mail, remember their own mentors, and look ahead to Season 2.

Erica checks in to let everyone know how amazing this first season has been and how excited we are about the movement we're starting. She also drops a little hint about the guest we're hoping to bring on for the season one finale.

The incomparable Cecily Strong, fresh off her search for signs of intelligent life, soon to once again be live from New York, sits in conversation with Mary Lou Rosato, her CalArts acting teacher – the kind of acting teacher every artist dreams of having. As they talk sonnets, Lady Macbeth, and sketch comedy, you'll be very glad we started this conversation with her at our party.