In this powerful episode of Brave Voices in Education, host Craig Aarons-Martin (he/him) moderates a dynamic and deeply personal roundtable with four youth leaders from the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth:

🎤 Avery Barry (she/her) – Student & Commissioner, Bridgewater State University
🎤 Kamryn “KC” Chandler Fontaine (they/them) – Fieldwork Administrator, HGSE & Commissioner
🎤 Adrian Romero (he/him) – Music Business Graduate, Berklee College of Music
🎤 Oliver “Olly” Kelly (they/he) – MPPA Candidate & LGBTQ Policy Intern

Together, we explore:
🌈 Navigating queer identity and advocacy
🧠 How education can liberate — or oppress
💬 What true allyship looks like in schools
🎉 Why joy is not decoration — it’s defiance

📌 Takeaways:

• Bravery isn’t about being unafraid — it’s about being seen

• Youth aren’t the future — they’re the force

• Safe schools are non-negotiable

• Every voice has impact

📲 Connect with Our MA Commission for LGBTQ Youth here .
💡 Don’t forget to rate, follow, and share if this moved you.

#BraveVoicesPod #CCMEdGroup #LGBTQYouth #PridePodcast #YouthLeadership #EducationEquity #QueerVoices #TransIsBeautiful #BlackQueerJoy #SafeSchoolsNow

In this powerful episode of Brave Voices in Education, host Craig Aarons-Martin (he/him) moderates a dynamic and deeply personal roundtable with four youth leaders from the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth:

🎤 Avery Barry (she/her) – Student & Commissioner, Bridgewater State University
🎤 Kamryn “KC” Chandler Fontaine (they/them) – Fieldwork Administrator, HGSE & Commissioner
🎤 Adrian Romero (he/him) – Music Business Graduate, Berklee College of Music
🎤 Oliver “Olly” Kelly (they/he) – MPPA Candidate & LGBTQ Policy Intern

Together, we explore:
🌈 Navigating queer identity and advocacy
🧠 How education can liberate — or oppress
💬 What true allyship looks like in schools
🎉 Why joy is not decoration — it’s defiance

📌 Takeaways:

• Bravery isn’t about being unafraid — it’s about being seen

• Youth aren’t the future — they’re the force

• Safe schools are non-negotiable

• Every voice has impact

📲 Learn More About the Massachusetts Commission for LGBTQ Youth here: https://www.mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-commission-on-lgbtq-youth
💡 Don’t forget to rate, follow, and share if this moved you.

#BraveVoicesPod #CCMEdGroup #LGBTQYouth #PridePodcast #YouthLeadership #EducationEquity #QueerVoices #TransIsBeautiful #BlackQueerJoy #SafeSchoolsNow #MassLGBTQYouth

How do we stay brave when the world asks us to be bulletproof?

In this soul-stirring episode of Brave Voices in Education, host Craig Aarons-Martin sits down with Dr. Keisha Chandler, Managing Director of Partner Success at ASCD and fierce advocate for Black brilliance in schools. Together, they explore the long shadow of racism, childhood experiences in segregated spaces, Montessori education, faith, and what it takes to truly center students in systems that often forget them.

🎙️ Topics include:

• Leading through trauma and truth

• Advocating for Black women and girls in education

• Healing from childhood microaggressions

• Joy, justice, and spiritual grounding as resistance

✨ Guest Highlights: Dr. Chandler is a K–12 educator, policy expert, and published scholar with deep roots in Philly and the Deep South. She reminds us that leadership isn't about perfection — it's about purpose, presence, and passing the mic.

🔗 Follow Dr. Chandler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keishachandler/