Participants in the Maroon Family Podcast recently turned their focus to building Family Engagement. The show included a “Battle of the Ages” with four sets of teens and their parents answering questions about each other. You can tune in to the episode now on Spotify.

The timing centered on Family Engagement Week, which runs from Nov. 18-22. Madisonville North Hopkins students in Kilee Beshear’s Leadership Class take turns hosting the Maroon Family Podcast podcast. The project is funded through the Community Schools Grant.

“During this period, students set up,” said Randall Campbell, Youth Service Center coordinator. “They have prepared. I just kind of guide them through.”

The first episode went live on September 6. 

“Last month, we had an assembly for Red Ribbon Week,” Campbell said. “Immediately when the speaker finished, he came in here. He met with our podcast team. We did a podcast so that rather than just students hearing one message, they can go back to it again in a few months. … When they’re really struggling with the issue, they can get the information and they can get the resources.

“We have all kinds of information about mental health,” he said. Based on national trends, Maroon Family Podcast is in the top 30 percent of podcasts nationwide, Campbell said. Students and the community have started listening. Plus, a billboard near Starbucks and the north side Burger King advertise the podcast to raise awareness.

Much of their content is based on Community Schools survey results. It’s designed to provide information and resources to students and families while pulling in community partners to collaborate.

Maroon Family Podcast