After being asked to take on the role of student producer for the Glenbrook Insights Podcast, alumnus Ryder Stone (‘25) was a little surprised the district did not already have a podcast.
“I thought it was a great idea that they were creating [a podcast], and I definitely wanted to be one of the first people on board,” Stone said.
The Glenbrook Insights Podcast offers community members an alternative way to stay informed about district updates through recorded conversations.
“Our initial plan was to create another pathway to connect with not only parents but community members who may not have kiddos in the school,” said superintendent R.J. Gravel. “So [the podcast] was a way for us to connect with them because they don’t get our newsletters.”
According to Christina Salonikas, communications manager for District #225, the Communications Department’s ultimate goal is for students and parents to understand what is going on in the district.
“We want to be the No. 1 trusted source for information and try to reach as many households in general,” Salonikas said.
As the host of the podcast, Gravel selects featured guests in relation to the topic of each episode, he said.
“Our first three episodes were focused on adults,” said Gravel. “As we move forward into this year, we’re going to be focused on a blend of students, community members, parents and staff members.”
The podcast released monthly episodes throughout the summer, and the district is currently looking for a new student producer to replace Stone.
“I think that they enjoyed having a student producer, not necessarily in charge, but working alongside them,” Stone said.
Gravel noticed the overall feedback the podcast received has been all positive, he said.
According to Lara Cummings, assistant superintendent of student support, she saw snippets of the podcast posted on social media and heard students and parents talking about it.
“I think it has gained more popularity as the episodes have continued,” Cummings said.
According to Stone, the podcast offers a different form of media.
“There is a lot of good information for incoming freshmen and transfer students that can be hard to find elsewhere,” said Stone. “It’s really just a consolidated podcast that has all of that information all in one place, which just makes it very easy to consume at once.”