Why All the Kids Love Molly

Molly Brown came to Wichita to become a zookeeper, but she stayed because she loved the city. Today, Molly serves as the events and program manager at Learning Lab Wichita, where she designs hands-on, engaging learning activities for kids and adults. 

On this episode, Molly shares stories about her upbringing in rural Wisconsin and reflects on what brings her joy in her work at Learning Lab. (Hint: It always comes back to the kids.)

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:03

Hi, I'm Olivia, and I'm Kristen. Through our work at Learning Witch Talk, we get a front road speed to innovation and personalized kindergarten through 12th grade learning. On this podcast, we share stories of how educators and parents are helping kids discover their passions. So you can do the same for a child you love.

SPEAKER_00 0:20

Time to dive in. Let's get personal.

SPEAKER_02 0:25

Hi everyone, and welcome to Let's Get Personal, real talk about reimagining education. Today we have one of Learning Lab's very own in the studio, our pride and joy. One of our pride and joys. Molly Brown. She is our program and events manager. So thanks for being here, Molly.

SPEAKER_00 0:43

Well, we're excited to have Molly on. She does all of our programs and events for adults and for children. And so she also is kind of an interesting gal. So we're excited to talk about her life too.

SPEAKER_02 0:57

That's right. So tell us, Molly, where did Molly Brown start? How'd you end up in Wichita? Because you're not from here.

SPEAKER_01 1:02

I'm not. And I think people are always so surprised when I share that I'm not from Wichita just because I'm such a huge champion and cheerleader of our community. But I grew up in a small town in northern Wisconsin. Um, you know, love being outside, grew up in the country, really identified with hard work, is really good for you. And it teaches you how to do hard things, problem solve. Um, you know, I think every single weekend we were camping and fishing and exploring. And so I'm just so grateful I got that experience in that childhood before I kind of moved to a more urban community like Wichita, which people always laugh when I call Wichita compared to rural Wisconsin. Right. Yeah, it's a relative. Yeah. Listen, I'm not driving 30 minutes to go find a TJ Maxx or a coffee anymore. So like big wins. That's true. But I came down here originally um for college and went to Friends University to pursue zoo science.

SPEAKER_00 1:58

Okay, I think that is so interesting about you, but I want to pause here because I want to talk more about baby molly. Um, can we talk about? I love hearing stories about your childhood. First of all, because I think growing up in rural Wisconsin maybe is a lot different than growing up in Wichita, Kansas. But also, um, we like to ask everyone about their like K through 12 education because it's interesting to hear like what different things went well, what maybe didn't. So, what what are your thoughts? Like, tell us about your kindergarten through 12th grade education.

SPEAKER_01 2:35

Yeah, especially in elementary school. I went to a more rural elementary school. We were out in the country, actually just 15 minutes from my childhood home. And so I think we were so blessed with the opportunity to go outside and play and explore and kind of have what would maybe now be considered a little bit more play-based and nature kind of focused education, where our teachers just always had us outside, especially for the few months in Wisconsin where weather is nice. I was just gonna ask about that.

SPEAKER_00 3:06

Did you go outside at uh at school in the winter?

SPEAKER_01 3:09

So at our elementary school, we where we were located, uh, we actually had a cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trail. Cool. And so in the winter months, that was actually a really fun and unique activity we got to do was go snowshoeing and learn how to cross-country ski because those yeah, and because those are such popular pastimes for recreational sports in the winter, especially in northern Wisconsin. Um, and so it was so fun to get to go outside and do that for your gym class.

SPEAKER_02 3:36

Heck yeah. That's so I but better than pickleball. I mean, no offense, pickleball. Like, don't pick pickleball. I like pickleball too, but like that's really interesting.

SPEAKER_00 3:46

Yeah, it is interesting, and I think it informs what I know about you because you are still like to be active and you love nature, and so that seems to have like real roots in that. Do you feel like other people you went to school with have those same things, or is it just because you're Molly?

SPEAKER_01 4:05

You know, I think it could be a bit of both. I think the culture there is very much focused on being outdoors because when you're in a more rural um setting, and I mean, especially the location of northern Wisconsin, there's so many lakes and forests that, you know, fishing and hunting and hiking and kayaking and boating and all these things are so popular there that it's hard to determine whether that it was just a cultural influence or something that like maybe I truly love because of the way that I got to grow up and the experiences I had. But to your point, I still love being in nature and you know, going out and getting to at least one national park a year is always our goal. And so it's been so fun because I think I've been to eight now, and so I've been doing really good since I set that goal for myself.

SPEAKER_02 4:50

And it's really good. I told I we were um at Zion National Park for spring break, and I told Molly the other day, I was like, I thought of you while I was trekking through the national park.

SPEAKER_01 5:00

Like Molly would love this. But have you been to Zion? I have, and Zion, I think, is actually one of my top five just because it's so gorgeous. And I had the opportunity to do Angels Landing when I was there. And so if anybody's done it, um I don't recommend doing it if you have a fear of heights. And it is the very reason I do have a fear of heights now.

SPEAKER_02 5:19

Oh, good. I we didn't even get close to look at it. I just remember seeing like it all over on pictures, and I was like, not with my, we had a three-year-old, six, seven, and nine-year-old. And I was like, I don't think that's I don't think it's our year to even do it.

SPEAKER_01 5:33

You know, I'll admit I was I was 20 when I did it.

unknown 5:36

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 5:37

And so um, I was a little, I was a little scared up there. A little shaky. What just like describe it? So you go up and it's like this really narrow kind of ridge back, and it's on chains that you have to hold on to because like there's really it's like maybe three to five feet before there's like a canyon drop on each side of you. And so, like, when I went, I was shaking in my boots because it was spring break. There were people trying to pass each other, trying to go down as you were going up. And so that's why I have a fear of heights now, because for like 45 minutes, peak spring break in Zion, I'm just like, I really hope somebody else doesn't slip that then falls on me either. Yeah. And so, you know, you just have all these thoughts up there. Well, you know, you're supposed to be appreciating the view and the nature, although just hoping I don't get sweaty palms or roll my ankle or something. Or scary.

SPEAKER_02 6:34

Oh, no. Well, what an experience. Connor and I were like, we'll go back someday. But now I'm like, I don't know. I don't know if I want to. We'll go back to Zion. But like he's like, we'll go back and do Angel's Landing, but we'll see.

SPEAKER_01 6:47

I highly encourage you if you're brave enough.

SPEAKER_00 6:50

I think that's something all three of us have in common is we all like to be in nature and hike and be outdoors. But you definitely are like our resident. Our resident nature girl. Which what about your um like your high school, your middle school and high school years?

SPEAKER_01 7:06

Yeah, I think middle school and high school were so interesting for me because I was a huge nerd, but I also was like soccer of the or captain of the soccer team. And so I was always a three-sport athlete. Um, especially in middle school, I got to try a lot of different sports just because of the way our intramural and A and B team systems were set up, that there was always a place for everybody to come out and try and explore that new skill set, which was really fun. Um, but then as I got into high school, really kind of decided that, you know, I love playing tennis, I love playing basketball, I love being in soccer, and just really got to focus more on those three, but also still participate on the student council and be part of National Honor Society. And I think in a small school, you get more of those chances to maybe do both and kind of be in different friend groups and be around different people.

SPEAKER_02 7:57

Yeah, but I I I have a like I feel I feel very similar to that with my high school experience too. But Valley Center's wasn't isn't that big, it's bigger now, but very similar on that side.

SPEAKER_00 8:08

Me as well. Um so that kind of carried over into your college experience too. So you did not pick a super large university to go to college.

SPEAKER_01 8:19

Yeah, if anybody has ever been to Friends University, it's kind of just a city block by a city block. But it's a really cool campus just because you do get to know so many people and you still get to kind of be a big fish in a smaller pond. And so, especially as a student athlete, again, I had access to a community of peers that were getting up early and going to workouts late at night that I could really connect with that maybe weren't in some of my classroom experiences during the day. And so again, just got to be exposed to so many different types of people, so many cool stories and different outlooks and perspectives that I just really loved my liberal arts experience. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 9:01

I also went to a liberal arts college and I feel like I don't know about what Friends is like, but I feel like I had to write a lot and like do a lot of critical thinking, which I think helps me as I continue. Um, so I give a thumbs up to the liberal arts. I mean, it also does force you to take a little bit more curriculum in some of the different areas. Like I know I had to take three science classes, and that was maybe like the worst part of my liberal arts education. I took biology the summer after I graduated. It was my last credit, and it turns out I love biology. I got a 99%, and my professor was like, if you ever need a letter of recommendation, I was like, Well, I'm going to be an English teacher. But anyway, you tell so you came to Wichita. Can you share like how you picked friends and what your program was?

SPEAKER_01 9:58

Yeah. So because I went to a smaller school, I think I also really caught her guidance counselor offhand when she was like, Oh, a zookeeper. Okay. Uh-huh. Um, like, let's do some resh research together on what that could look like. And when you start looking at options for that, and I was so passionate at the time and so convinced that like I wanted to go into zookeeping because I loved animals, I loved nature, I loved the research and the science part, that I just felt like it was a career that had a lot of avenues for me to do the things that I was excited and loved. And really, it was because of that liberal arts experience that I got to really expand my horizons. But I really liked the idea of going to a smaller school because it was so far away. And if my only options were the University of Florida and Friends University, I was like, man, if I'm gonna have to move across the country, like it would be really cool to maybe have a teammate or a roommate that might be in what some of my same classes. And especially at a D1 school like Florida, I I probably wasn't gonna get that experience. Yeah. Where, you know, at least transitioning to Friends, I felt like I was already kind of walking into a built-in community.

SPEAKER_00 11:13

Yeah, and uh Friends has a good like zoo science program.

SPEAKER_01 11:18

Yeah, and I I love bragging about it, even if I'm not a zoo keeper now. Uh Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas is like always rated as one of the best zoos in the country, if not like the world. And so I think it's so cool that they have a small, unique program tied to a small university, like Friends, because like who would think that's right in our backyard. But it's so fun because the classes are actually taught by professionals in the industry. And so when you go to learn about amphibians and reptiles, you talk to the curator of those exhibits and you get to work with the veterinarians that are caring for these animals. And so you just get such a unique perspective into the industry and the real work that happens that I think it prepares students really well for that transition into the workforce.

SPEAKER_00 12:10

Well, I think that's uh interesting. And then you did actually work at the zoo in Wichita, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:17

Yeah, especially as I was um going through college, I loved being an education interpreter. And that was one of the things that really inspired me to take on this role when it was offered. Is I do love education. I love connecting with people and creating those moments of passion or magic that makes a kid really excited and maybe opens up a different world for them or a new door to something that they didn't know they loved.

SPEAKER_03 12:41

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_02 12:42

Yeah. Yeah. So Molly, you were the people at the zoo who have like the like talk talk about what was your day-to-day at the zoo like.

SPEAKER_01 12:50

Yeah. So I'd clock in and then either be assigned to a specific exhibit or program that day based on our team schedule and really get the opportunity to go around and maybe I was holding a baby goat. And as you came into the farm section of the zoo, I got to say, Hey Lydia, how are you guys doing today? Do you want to pet this baby goat? Always do. Always. Always, right? It's such an easy hook, right? That's right. Like, I don't know how zoos ever have a hard time marketing because yes, I want to come see a cute animal. Of course. Yeah. And so that was always my hook was hey, do you want to come see something really cool? Do you want to pet this animal? And kind of inviting them into our side of the work and the world. Because then once you're petting that baby goat, I can tell you about the history of Arupawa goats and where they're originally from, what their history is, why we have so many at the zoo, what their names are here. And so it just kind of creates a little bit moment of intentionality where you're not just a guest, but you're a guest at the zoo that day.

SPEAKER_02 13:53

The last time you talking about goats made me think about the last time we were there. Poor Lila girl. She's just not very big, but we were in the by the goats. And she's petting one. It's an adult, but it has horns, and it turns and smacks her in the head with the horns. And then not two minutes later, another one hits Crew with his horns. And I was like, but it was only my children. And I was like, why are the goats after my kids today? But Lila was devastated and seriously like offended. Like I was just loving you, goat. She could not like comprehend in her brain. I mean, she was like speechless. Um, but anyways, that I so what was like the most I mean, I don't know, Molly, tell me stories about the zoo. When you think about working at the zoo, what are the stories that you're like, no, I will never forget these things?

SPEAKER_01 14:45

Truly, there's one family when I was working there that they would always come super early in the mornings. And a lot of families do, especially in the summer, because it gets really hot in Kansas. Yeah. And, you know, as a grandma, her grandkids, and every day, like clockwork, they would pass me cleaning the prairie dog exhibit. And one of my favorite things one day is I was like, you know, kind of have some extra time. It's a little bit cooler out this morning. I'm just gonna go up and see if maybe they want to throw a couple pieces of carrots. And they've always been really quiet, really shy as they go by. You know, they don't really interact, even like when I wave. And as they come by that morning, I was like, oh, you know, gosh, guys, I'm just I am so far behind in my routine today. Do you think you guys could help me out? Because, you know, I it would be a big help if you could feed the prairie dogs for me while I keep cleaning. And the grandma immediately smiled because she knew I was trying to create an opportunity for the kids to like maybe throw some carrots and have some fun. And so the little boy kind of looked at her asking for permission, like, can I? Should I? And he came up to the glass kind of scared and just took like one carrot and kind of tried throwing it but dropped it. And his grandma was like, Oh, let's try again. And he was like, Oh no, it's okay. And she was like, No, no, just one more time. And I was like, No, I promise, like, even if you just drop it on the inside, like a prairie dog will come get it. And so he threw a couple carrots in there, got them over the fence finally, and he was just waiting there, just waiting for a prairie dog. And typically they're a little bit shy and they'll kind of wait for you to leave the exhibit. And so I said, Well, you know, maybe if I keep cleaning on the other side, but like just be patient. I promise they'll come out. And they sat there for maybe five minutes, still didn't see it. And I felt bad, so I kept cleaning. A couple more minutes go by and they still didn't see it. Oh. And so grandma was like, Well, you know, like, thanks so much for letting us throw carrots, but you know, like I think we're gonna get going. And this baby was getting a little fussy, and I was like, Oh yeah, you know, thank you guys so much. You know, maybe if you come back later this week, you can help me again. And so a couple days go by and I hadn't seen them. And in the back of my mind, I'm like, oh great. I'm like, I failed. I'm like, I just made this kid hate prairie dogs for the rest of his life. But then it was a few days later, and I saw him all of a sudden come running up to the glass, and he was so excited. And his grandma came over, like, you know, trailing a little bit behind because she's pushing the cart, and she goes, He has not stopped talking about how excited he is to go back to the zoo and feed the prairie dogs. And this wasn't a program or an opportunity you could pay for. This was just me kind of going out of my way to just create an opportunity for a kid to throw a carrot. Yeah. And like it seems so small, but like it was such, I think, a great representation of what so many of the zoo keepers and zoo staff try to do. And that like the work of conservation and caring for the animals is so important. But if we can't impact people and get them to also care about the conservation and the animals, then like the work isn't really making a difference in the world. Yeah. And so I think those intentional small moments are so important. And that was just such a life lesson that I took on in so many other roles when I eventually moved out of zookeeping as well.

SPEAKER_02 18:02

Yeah. So Molly is no longer a zookeeper. It's just I mean, like she left.

SPEAKER_00 18:06

We don't have actual animals on the side learning lab.

SPEAKER_02 18:10

Maybe like it's a zoo. Um, okay, so you were zookeeping, and then you Well what about it made you be like, this is not the career for me.

SPEAKER_01 18:23

Yeah, I think it is a really hard job physically on your body, right? You're doing a lot of heavy manual labor. You're outside when it's super hot, when it's freezing cold. Um, and I think I had had some conversations as I was kind of going through my education, if you will, at Friends, where my friends started specializing, and my friends at Friends, shout out. Um, Friends Squared. They really were specializing and, you know, falling in love with certain pieces of our field or our industry. And I kind of just felt a little discombobulated because I didn't feel like there was something for me at that time. Because I really loved that opportunity to connect with the guests and share the story and the mission of the work. But there's not very many entry-level roles where you can do that and then also still care for the animals and be in the nature. So I felt like I was kind of being pulled in different directions when because it was a liberal arts school and I was taking different classes outside of my wheelhouse, I had a business teacher actually pull me aside and say, Hey, like, have you ever thought about like maybe running a zoo or being in sort of an administrative or leadership or educational role? Because I just really think like you're kind of boxing yourself in because you're really good at this thing over here. And so I really give so much credit to shout out Jenna Cantwell um for really believing and seeing something in myself that I hadn't ever really considered before. And so I think because I had kind of opened that door and she had been so confident in no, I really think you could do this. I decided to double major. Um and so I ended up getting my degree in strategic leadership as well as zoo science. So then when I was kind of in the field working, I just had a really great opportunity come my way that I felt like I couldn't say no because I did kind of have that lingering interest and that what if I did? What if I did do something more or different? That my job in zoo science wouldn't look the same. Yeah. And so I actually kind of transitioned out and did a little bit more of like a research science kind of perspective where I was in a little bit more of like a project management role. And then that's how I actually got transitioned to the Chamber of Wichita and my role with W Young Pros, which is actually where I met Lydia and first got introduced.

SPEAKER_02 20:45

That's right. First time. That was that was a fun, fun night. Memorable night at the gala. Um, no, it's very cool. That's very I love when people recognize things in you that you don't recognize about yourself. And that's what's really amazing about a lot of great educators is they can spot something and ask good questions that plant a seed, and here you are, four years later.

SPEAKER_00 21:09

Like one of the many important things educators do, and it's come up on this podcast a number of times of like why somebody has pursued a certain avenue or why somebody like why their dreams were crushed because the educator went the other way with it. Yeah. And so it kind of is reminds me too, like how we talk to our kids, even though we're not their primary educator, like it just makes a big impact.

SPEAKER_02 21:34

That's right. So you go to the chamber, talk about young professionals and what you liked about doing that.

SPEAKER_01 21:41

Yeah, I loved my time working for W Young Professionals. They are a program of the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce, and they really focus on talent development and retention here in the city of Wichita. And I think it is such a beautiful community of incredible people that. I think again, so many great mentors came into my life during that time period where they just saw something and believed in me in a way that maybe I hadn't seen that in myself, or I didn't know I was capable of maybe trying this new thing or taking this lead on this project. And so I think not only as an organization is it such a great space for young professionals and volunteers to grow. But my experience was so amplified by being a staff member and being somebody who was a driving force behind a lot of the work. And so I think it just made me so passionate about serving the community of Wichita, about recognizing that somebody had also opened that door for me. And now I was getting the chance to open doors for others. And so it was also really full circle as a young professional to feel like I was making a difference in our community and creating a positive impact so early on in my career. Where I had a lot of friends that left to go back to Colorado or Texas or California, and they were struggling to get jobs and find good mentors and be in the right spaces to grow the way you're really excited to after college. And so I'm just so grateful I had that outlet to be really passionate, really creative, and like really grow in capacities and skill sets that I don't think I would have ever had the opportunity to do so, especially in like a large organization.

SPEAKER_00 23:18

It is a testament to like Wichita and community because one thing I think about Wichita is if you want to find a place to belong, like you can find somewhere here. It's not like a it's a big small town. Um but W is a pretty neat organization in that I know a number of people who have gained a job from like the connections that they made in W. And like I've never I was teaching when I was W eligible, and so I never had any kind of interaction myself, but it just seems like that organization makes a difference for young people in our town.

SPEAKER_01 23:56

Yeah, absolutely. And I think it was such a catalyst for my growth and my confidence in myself to be able to even think beyond that role and consider myself in a place like Learning Lab. That's right.

SPEAKER_02 24:08

Yeah, so you ended up here. How'd you end up at Learning Lab?

SPEAKER_01 24:10

I did. Well, you know, I ended up at Learning Lab in the best way. That's right. Connor Hampton was shout out my biggest mentors and cheerleaders, especially during that time at W and after. And so when this role came up, he gave me the wink, wink, nudge, nudge and was like, hey, you need to apply for this. Yeah. He's like, I know we're working together right now, but and you're not fired. But he's like, I also, and again, because he's such a great coach and cheerleader, he always wants the best for you. He does. He does. And so he was like, Lydia's what's best.

SPEAKER_00 24:46

If you if you didn't know, Connor Hampton is Lydia's husband, and he's also uh a young professional in Wichita. And so Molly was actually working with Connor when he told her maybe she should apply for this job. Luckily, she took it the right way.

SPEAKER_02 25:01

She did, yes, yes. It was all good things. But yeah, Connor's thing is always looking at what is best for people. Like uh it's it's just one of his biggest, biggest things. Um, no, we're so I was so thankful you said yes.

SPEAKER_00 25:16

Kristen told me no the first time. I have time today that Lydia hasn't brought up that I turned the job down the first time.

SPEAKER_02 25:21

She just wanted that off the record so that everybody can know. Listen. No, I'm just kidding. Um you said yes, and you joined us in the summer of 2024. So right before we moved in here. Um, you started the day of our first Ed Camp. That was fun. And then um it's been full speed ahead ever since. So maybe just describe your role, what you do here for us, and for our community. Um, yeah, tell the people.

SPEAKER_01 25:51

Yeah. So shout out Lydia for hiring me to be the program and event manager. Um, because it has been such a blast being part of the founding team to really bring the space to life, to figure out what our community is gonna look like, who our friends are gonna be, and what we're gonna do. That's right. And so those are just some of the questions that I get to answer every day. But I love designing our programs and events, especially when it comes to maybe some of the bigger and more exciting things. And so designing our Fun Friday learning for our students has been awesome because at least once a week I get to hang out with 20 of my little best friends and we get to have a ton of fun.

SPEAKER_00 26:35

Can you tell people what Fun Friday is, how the format works and stuff? Because I I was just saying earlier to someone, like I was not super jazzed about the idea of Fun Friday until I actually saw it with my own eyes. And now I love it.

SPEAKER_01 26:50

So Fun Fridays is something we offer here at Learning Lab, and it's a really flexible design so that it can kind of meet whatever your family's looking for, or maybe whatever your student is interested in. But if you think about it like college for a day and you have a course catalog, you get to go through and at each hour see what's available for you, what you might be interested in, and really create a customized learning schedule. And the best part of our classes is that they aren't graded, they're all exploratory. They're, you know, we want you to have fun, but also maybe take something away. And so I think it creates such a low pressure environment for kids to come in and try new things like robotics or Spanish and not feel silly and get to do it with some of their peers and friends, right? And it's brought in together, I think, such a unique uh nexodus of students because we have some from our participating resident models, we have students from local micro schools like GreenGate. Um, you know, we get homeschool families that participate a ton. And so it's just such a unique blend and a fun diversity of kids in the building every Friday that just makes for a good time. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 28:02

And I think you do an incredible job of finding local instructors. All these these are not learning lab staff. I feel like we have to like tell people like, no, I don't have these people. We contract with them. They're all local people who have a talent or a gift that they want to share with kids. And Molly finds them and helps curate this like calendar, this catalog of classes. And uh that's been really, really fun.

SPEAKER_00 28:29

They all get background checks. I just want people to know they're not just random people. Most of the time we know somebody who knows somebody, but they all get background checks. But I think the beauty of it is there are so many different types of people teaching, and that's good for kids because there are so many different types of kids. That's right. Um, and they're teaching completely different perspectives. We have Candace Smith who's teaching basically civic and life lessons to these kids, and then we have people teaching more like practical hands-on skills, like art or Spanish or science or whatever it might be. So um, it is a blast to be in Learning Lab on Fun Friday because we add about what, like 40, 50 bodies. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 29:15

Right now we're after about 50. Yeah. And I think another great thing too is that our classes change quarterly. I agree. And so, especially if you're a kid that really wants to explore a lot of different things, you can shake up your schedule and have a lot of different things each quarter. Or if you're somebody who knows that, no, I love learning Spanish and I really want to keep growing in this area. Well, that's great because we actually have a Spanish class offered all four semesters. So you can keep building on that skill. And so whether it's cumulative or just quarterly, we do have something based on every interest level. And so, again, we get to work with so many cool community collaborators to fill those times in those classes that I mean, could we do that anywhere else than Wichita? I'm not sure. Just because we have such a We're about to find out. Yeah, we have such a great community of people who want to give back and want to share their skills and talents that I'm just so grateful that we have access to the people and the places that we do.

SPEAKER_02 30:13

Yeah. No. Well, and we I I think we, you know, we always talk about a couple of things, right? That our community of Wichita is full of people, places, and things to learn from. We don't need to duplicate resources, we just need to bring things together. And I think that's what Fun Friday um does as well. And then if you're a school founder or like a homeschool parent or any of these people, it's really hard to be the expert at all the stinking things to know the robotics or to teach the Spanish. And so I get a lot of fulfillment from knowing that we're easing a burden for our resident models for those enrichment types of classes, or the homeschool mom who's already doing enough, right? That they can come and have their kids still touch and try and feel. That's that's the other thing. Our space, if you've listened to our episode talking about the design of the space, or if you ever come through, we talk about that everything is designed so that kids can touch and try as many skills as possible. And that's also what Fun Fridays does. To your point, you can sign up for something, it's a nine-week series, and then you could repeat it possibly, or try something totally new. And it just helps kids connect to more things.

SPEAKER_00 31:26

Um that's my favorite part is I mean, there was a moment a few weeks ago on Fun Friday when I just like was overwhelmed by like the joy in the space. Um, there were the littler kids, like the kindergarten first grade kids were in a class with Jenna, who teaches like activity. Um, basically, she tricks kids into moving around by having them play games. And they they think they're just playing a game, but really she's like, No, you're running around. Yeah. Um, but anyway, they were playing a game that they had to like fill a cup with water and run it like it was a relay to a bucket. And those kids were just hysterically laughing for like, I mean, it had to have been like over 10 minutes. And I just thought, like, I just think laughing is so good for kids, and sometimes, especially in 2026, like world the world feels heavy. And if the only thing we're doing is creating like joyful experiences for kids, then that's like worth it just in itself.

SPEAKER_01 32:27

Couldn't agree more, couldn't agree more. You know, and I had a really great meeting with a partner the other day from Find Your Grind, and we got to look at some reports together, and maybe things that people don't think is the juiciest of details, but I think to that point it was so cool to see because it was really unexpected for me. But in the report, we had a particular student who came in in the fall, was really quiet, really shy, more reserved. And to see their statistics of their engagement on the platform really showcase the growth that I've gotten to see in the classroom has just been awesome because they've gotten to blossom up. They're a whole different student. They walk in and they're excited, they give us high fives, they talk to other peers in the room. And so, again, it's just creating a space where they can be joyful and have a really positive experience, and maybe that's all they need in their day.

SPEAKER_00 33:17

So Molly's teaching a class this year called Find Your Grind, and it's a career exploration platform. Find Your Grind is a company that we're partnering with to offer this to kids in Wichita, and it's really neat. I mean, we could do a whole episode on career exploration. Yeah, we should have them. We should have mic on. Yeah. It's been fun because Molly and her sister Emma have been teaching. Do you want to share about Emma's award that she won? Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:43

And so again, going back to we're creating such fun relationships with these students. Like they really are our friends.

SPEAKER_02 33:50

Okay, but also tell them what what age of students are we talking about? Because I think that's an important detail. Middle schoolers. I listen, I love middle schoolers. I also, they're middle schoolers' friends.

SPEAKER_01 34:01

So they are. And every Friday we have 12 middle schoolers that consistently come to class on time with a great attitude, excited to get back on the platform. And I just that in itself isn't a good idea. But Emma's background is really unique because she's a behavioral therapist and she's always had a passion for working with children and students. And so when I was talking about this program, that was really where I needed somebody that had skill sets and strengths was to help them through maybe some of that social emotional learning about themselves and that self-exploration of, oh, like I would describe myself as this, but maybe this is what that really means about me. And so while I had the technical skills to implement the program, I think she's been such a great compliment bringing some of those soft skills into the room and helping the kids ask those tough questions about themselves and kind of work through the process with them so that it is less daunting and less scary and less hard. Because you just don't know things about yourself until sometimes you know. That's right. And so it's just been really fun to do that together because we have a fun dynamic. But then it also creates a fun classroom dynamic of, well, I don't know, Emma's a little funnier. But Miss Molly can fix my computer. And so um, she actually received a notification that she thought it was spam at first, but the Wichita WindSearch reached out and shared that she would be the educator of a game coming up. That's so cool. And she was so caught off guard because she was like, Well, I didn't apply. And she called me asking if I nominated her. And long story short, we got the application back from the team, and it was filled out by one of her find your grind students anonymously. But when they asked what she taught and where she's a teacher, they said find your grind. And she teaches at the digital studio. Inside learning lab. Yeah. And so it's really fun. So when she gets a date for the game, we plan to invite the parents and families of the program to come celebrate with us.

SPEAKER_02 36:08

Yeah, that's super fun. That's awesome. Great. Yeah. Um, so with all of, I mean, what else would you like to share about what you so we've talked a lot about the kid, uh, the learner side of your job. Molly also plans, you know, we did a whole thing for the Olympics and we were big into the Winter Olympics. I feel like we can check off our list that we made curling fans of every kid in the building. Um, but what are some of the other things that you do with your role?

SPEAKER_01 36:33

Yeah. So I get to not only oversee um our programming for students, which is a big piece of Fun Fridays, um, and fun things like the Olympics when they come around, doing holiday spirit weeks, um, building events that are just engaging for a community. So we have the time to come together and celebrate and get to know each other. But then also kind of overseeing what we refer to as our entrepreneurships in resonance, which is collaborating with local or national partners that have an educational tool or something that they want to implement and experiment with, and kind of helping them go through the design process and getting the chance to kind of test and refine it within our incubation space, just because we do have access to a really wide demographic of students in such a small space. So we can be really helpful partners in that way for people. Um, so that's one avenue I get of my work. And then um also getting to oversee some of our adult programming. And so we host a monthly cohort experience called Edcollab. And so that's always really fun and really fulfilling for me each month to get together with local innovative educators, education industry professionals, go and explore and do what we call leave to learns. Yeah. And so going and getting access to a really cool space or showcasing a community resource that teachers can use in their education settings. Um, but just to see those people come together, I think is always really inspiring because they come from such diverse backgrounds, but are so open to having conversations and sharing ideas just to keep making our ecosystem a little bit better and making sure that things are available for every student in every space.

SPEAKER_02 38:17

Yeah. EdCalab is really fun. Um, and then we have EdCamp too.

SPEAKER_01 38:21

And EdCamp is our single day event. And so that's our local conference, really driven by local educators for other local educators. Um, so unfortunately, we don't pay for a fancy keynote speaker to fly in.

SPEAKER_02 38:36

I think it's fortunately. I think it's like I mean, I love a good keynote, but it has to be a good keynote. It would have to be a really good keynote. And like from an event planning side, you can spend a lot of money on I mean, no disrespect speakers of any kind, but again, Wichita is full of people, places, and things to learn from. There's so much knowledge to be shared just by our local instructors. So I love that we don't pay for a big fancy keynote to come into town.

SPEAKER_01 39:02

I and I couldn't agree with you more. I think we actually have all of the resources in the brains we need already here in the room. We just got to put them to work, right? Right. And so that's why it's so fun because it's a little bit of a unique conference. We we don't have a keynote speaker, it's a lot of hands-on workshops led by local knowledge experts. And it's really fun. I think again, it just brings people together and creates an opportunity for us to share new ideas and be innovative and really challenge the way we're thinking while also saying, Hey, I would love to help with that. Or I know this person that you should definitely get connected with. Yeah. And so I think some of the most valuable feedback we've received is that it's just a great opportunity to bring our community together. No, I agree.

SPEAKER_02 39:48

I agree. She does a lot if you can't tell people. Molly is always busy. What Molly hasn't talked about yet is that she's the resident. I don't know what to call you. Um Pied Piper of children. I was gonna say kid whisperer. Yeah, Molly is often found sitting side by side with kids in the space who just need different things, need to be busy, need a listening ear. Um, I've watched her mediate first grade girl drama. I mean, I just I think the kids just they love, they love them so Molly. Um, Molly's been out a little bit this month, and the number of times I've been asked, but when is Molly getting back? When is Miss Molly gonna be back? Where's guys? Are you not excited to see me? No, but they just really do love you. So it's it's we're so lucky to have you as part of our team.

SPEAKER_01 40:39

Well, it's really easy to be the favorite when you come around with the juice and the sugar cookies and the games. And the games and the spirit day activities.

SPEAKER_00 40:48

I don't really think that's it. I mean, it doesn't hurt. It's it's about like you care about them and you're always willing to take time. I am guilty of like trying to get my job done and just like kind of brushing kids aside when they want attention and you you always make them feel valued and the kids know when they're valued. They do.

SPEAKER_02 41:10

They do, you do a great job. Um what this is a question I like to ask people what are your non-negotiables, Molly Brown? As a person in your role, I guess um, we can talk about your human being, non-negotiables, but it for your role as our program and events manager, but what are your non-negotiables?

SPEAKER_01 41:32

That's a really tough question. I would say probably one of my biggest non-negotiables is that it's gotta make sense for our mission. And a big piece of our mission has the students at the forefront and at the heart. And so I think, you know, if it's not good for the students or good for the educators, it's a really easy no for me. That's good. That is good.

SPEAKER_02 41:56

It makes it easier, it's an easier filter.

SPEAKER_01 41:58

Yeah. I think, and that's I think a really easy gut check for me in a lot of what I do is finding those preferred partners and you know, just knowing if they get it and seeing really quickly when they don't. Yeah. And then I think my second non-negotiable that kind of leads into that is we gotta have some fun. If we're if we aren't having fun, I am not doing my job right. Yeah. And and I mean that in team meetings, in programs and events at Edcollab. Like, if I haven't made somebody chuckle or smile today, then like I gotta take a step back and rearrange my duties.

SPEAKER_00 42:31

And you've been super professional on this podcast, but anybody who knows Molly Brown knows that she's a good time. In fact, I just I told the story the other day whenever Lydia hired you. I hadn't ever met you. And so I was nervous. I get nervous and we have new flavor.

SPEAKER_02 42:46

She was like loved you. She was just like, I don't know, who's this Molly girl?

SPEAKER_00 42:51

And Connor uh Hampton was like, Well, one thing you need to know about Molly is that she's a good time. And I was like, it made me feel like I was not a good time. What are you trying to say, Connor? No, but he's right.

SPEAKER_02 43:07

He's right. And Connor Hampton loves fun is one of his priorities too. So you guys always have that very much in common. But I think that's a really good non-negotiable to your point. But I think you could anchor that to education overall. Like, are we reflecting and saying, okay, but are we having fun learning? Or is it just feel like heavy? And so I think you do a really good job. That's a really good, that's I can see that being a very strong attribute in you.

unknown 43:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 43:32

And you know, credit words due. I was an RA in college for freshman girls. So I can sit with the heavy stuff when we need to. And I think that really comes into play de-escalating the conflict and working working through friend drama.

SPEAKER_00 43:47

Seven year old girls have some heavy stuff.

SPEAKER_01 43:50

Oh, we do tears. And so, you know, I think I have that skill set and that side where like we can sit with the heavy and we can work through it together. But wouldn't it be so much more Fun if we could come out better on the other side of this and have some fun too. Yeah. And so if we can keep it light, keep it fun, bring joy into the equation, I think that's always a huge priority for me. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 44:11

Yeah. And Molly is never afraid to participate in the stuff with the kids, whether it's I feel like I saw you doing a basketball competition last year.

SPEAKER_01 44:21

I have listened to it. We've fielded up at the parking lot. I will be out there field day. Wheels day, I bring in my longboard. And so I'll sometimes let the kids ride my electric longboard with me, which is tons of fun. Yeah. With their parents' permission, of course.

SPEAKER_02 44:35

We're not risking that. Um no. Always, always, Molly Brown is a good time. So it's a lot of fun to have you here and doing the work and being on our team.

SPEAKER_00 44:45

We're really glad you're on our team, Molly Brown. Do you have any is there anything we haven't asked you that you think is important to share about Learning Lab or about yourself?

SPEAKER_01 44:55

You know, I think my personal experiences really shaped my passion for transitioning into education. Just because I think I had such a unique kind of journey, kind of popping around, figuring out what I actually wanted to do, kind of a bit late. But you know, I think everybody needs something a little bit different. And I I think we all have had a teacher or somebody believe in us that saw something or maybe introduced something new. Or whether maybe it's a friend who just introduced you to crafting. Yeah. But you know, there's always time to learn and grow. And I think it's so fun to see that come to life every single day in our space. I don't know if there's ever a bad day at the learning lab. Somebody's always got a smile on somewhere, or working on a cool project they want to tell you about. And so I just think this is a really magical space that you're just not gonna know until you're here and you feel it yourself. That's true. That's right.

SPEAKER_00 45:49

It's true, and you're part of that. You're part of creating that magic.

SPEAKER_02 45:53

That's right. There's only been one day where I think we all looked at each other and we're like, I think we need to walk through the building with some sage. Some birdie's page. And like, I don't know, there was just spirits emerging in this space. It was like a cold movie. It was cold out of the weather. I don't know. But there's yeah, and that wasn't even a bad day. We were all just we're like, what is happening?

SPEAKER_00 46:11

It's usually just such a happy place. And we've said that on the podcast before. But today was a good day. Today was one of the days. I mean, just occasionally it just feels extra, extra special. But today was a day when there were several homeschool families working independently, and Darby was having a class and she had like some new faces in there, and then we just had all of our models, and so it just felt really like thriving and productive. And I just yeah, days like that, I think like it doesn't get much better.

SPEAKER_02 46:46

I agree. Well, that's a lovely way to end the podcast episode. As Kristen has tears in her eyes that people can't see, and I love it.

SPEAKER_01 46:55

The magic learning lab brings people to tears.

SPEAKER_02 46:57

It is, it it does. I'm I I don't think it can be understated how well that's what I was having a conversation about this morning. I just think we underestimate, to your point earlier, about just if you could only worry about kids being happy, like the world would be a very different place. Like we that is not a secondary need. It is actually the first need to have happy, joyful kids. And then you can worry about the learning, but uh, we just we for some reason we we just cannot get out of mixing up our priorities. Not completely, not completely, but it it's it things are hard for people to find that consistently from whatever stakeholder seat you're you're coming from. It's it's just trickier than ever. Um so I'm very grateful to both of you for helping create a space where that is the life that we get to live every day, and that is the world that we want to live in, is a world where every kid has an education that works for them. And that includes the day-to-day, and that includes the fun things that Molly plans, and that includes everything in between. So um the work is important and it all starts with happy people and happy kids. The end.

SPEAKER_01 48:17

Hold on. Can I add on one thing? Yes, of course. So one of the best parts of my job, and thank you, if you send your student to Learning Lab. Because one of the best parts of my day is getting to come to work with all of my best friends. And so thank you for sending your student here. So I get to be one of their best friends. That's right. That's right.

SPEAKER_00 48:37

You know what we didn't talk about that I could also step in is some summer.

SPEAKER_02 48:41

Oh.

SPEAKER_01 48:42

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 48:43

So yeah. Talk about summer, talk about how other people can bring their kids here to be our best friends.

SPEAKER_01 48:48

Yes. So if you don't have the privilege of being a full-time student through the school year, don't worry because you can still join us for summer. We're actually experimenting and doing something kind of fun this summer and trying themed weeks throughout the month of June. So whether you are interested in food forward science, culinary chemistry, if you like global grooves, music and art from around the world, if you're super into STEM, you want to join our future builders' week, we're gonna have a little something across the board again for everybody. But our deadline for registration is May 22nd, and we have some opportunities for before and after care. So if your flexible or inflexible schedule is maybe causing you to be hesitant, we got you covered. Yeah. And then something that's really nice is if you do more than one week of our summer programming, we're also gonna offer payment plans. So we just always want to be affordable, accessible for families, because again, if we're doing really great work, but we can't reach the right people, then I gotta step back and reevaluate. Yeah. So I'm really excited to give these summer programs a try. And I really hope you guys will join us.

SPEAKER_00 50:00

We're gonna have all kinds of like program instructors and leave and leave to learn.

SPEAKER_02 50:06

So the kids are gonna go out into the community. They're just very unique. And I think all of our programming is, but I think some are shaping up to be really unique and fun too. So go ahead and check that out.

SPEAKER_01 50:17

Yeah, stay tuned for more details. That's right. Or go to our website, learn more.