Andrew Waltz, Director of Arts Management for UC San Diego Park & Market, and Yale Strom, an ethnographer, artist and curator, discuss the launch of the Intersections interdisciplinary event series, designed to forge connections between people, educators, businesses and innovators in San Diego and worldwide.

Nicky Moore, Director of Training Operations for Shelter to Soldier, chats about her organization’s mission to train local shelter dogs to become psychiatric service dogs for post-9/11 veterans suffering from PTS, traumatic brain injury and military sexual trauma. Moore notes that Shelter to Soldier also places emotional support animals with active duty military.

Stacey Roberts, the creator of Reggie Rapasaurus, and Jose Cruz, the CEO of the San Diego Council On Literacy, discuss their passion for literacy as well as their upcoming neighborhood reading event at Bowlegged BBQ, which will offer books and songs by Reggie Rapasaurus.

Dr. Alberto Pulido, Chair and Professor of Ethnic Studies at the University of San Diego and Director of the Turning Wheel Mobile Classroom Project, talks about Turnings Wheels’ mission to build community through the story telling of the rich cultures and history of diverse communities. Dr. Pulido chats about the project’s partnership with the Chicano Park Steering Committee, the Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center and USD.

Vinny Seepaul, Associate Director of USD’s College Corps Fellowship Program, is joined by Maria Perez, a program Fellow, to discuss the program’s engagement efforts to stimulate college students’ interest in civic-minded causes, and it’s focus on helping low income students graduate on time and with less debt.

Dr. Emily Young, Executive Director of the USD’s Nonprofit Institute, and Paul Eichen, Founder and Board Chair of Kid Spark Education, talk about the Institute’s use of research to support/strengthen nonprofits such as Kid Spark. Young and Eichen chat about the missions of their respective organizations.

Dr. Odesma Dalrymple and Dr. Perla Myers, Co-Founders of the (S)TEAM Academy and STEAM Youth and Community Conference, discuss the Academy’s mission to facilitate an informal STEAM education learning “laboratory” where STEAM skills, identities, advocacy and equity-based approaches are co-cultivated amongst underserved middle and high school students.

Paine Harris, a University of San Diego electrical engineering student, talks about Project VisMO, a program that extends elementary school students’ visuospatial skills and increase their mathematical understanding through paper play.

Pamela Gray Payton, Vice President, Chief Impact and Partnerships Officer for the San Diego Foundation, is joined by Dr. Sean Green, Assistant Dean for Community Engagements in Spiritually, Mental Health and Catholic Education for the USD’s School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES), chat about a $1.5 million Foundation grant for USD to develop and launch the Black InGenius Initiative (BiGI). The Initiative is a college access and early literacy program for Black students in the San Diego Region.

Ed Hiner, a retired Navy SEAL, best-selling author and educator, chats about how his experiences as a Navy SEAL have led him to teach students at the San Pascual Academy on topics such as leadership, succeeding under tremendous stress and fulfilling promises.