On this episode of Kids First, Keven Cohen welcomes Karen Nelson, a teacher at Horse Creek Academy in Aiken, joined by Superintendent Chris Neeley. A fifteen-year educator who spent years teaching middle school English, Nelson shares what drew her into an unexpected new adventure after a simple conversation about media projects, armed with no camera or microphone experience but a gift for pulling a good story out of a kid. She and Chris dig into what makes a charter school like Horse Creek so distinctive, from the autonomy teachers have to know their students and build real relationships to a Pre-K through 12 campus where older students mentor the little ones, and everyone seems to know everyone, a connection Nelson lovingly compares to a giant spider web.
The heart of the conversation is the school's student-led podcast, one example of how Horse Creek helps young people discover skills they never knew they had. Nelson explains how the program grew from a small city partnership into a weekly show run by students across the grades, complete with sports segments, community spotlights, and a brand new feature that brings the school's youngest voices up to the microphone. Along the way, she, Keven, and Chris reflect on why building confidence and communication matters so much, especially for a generation still finding its footing, and how the school's career pathways, including a state-certified aesthetics and nail program, give students a real chance to find their own skill and their own direction. It is a joyful, inspiring look at innovation, great teaching, and what it means to put kids first. And listeners can look forward to meeting some of the student hosts themselves on an upcoming episode.
🔗 Learn more: https://www.hcacs.net/
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