Dr. Diane's Adventures in Learning
🎧 Adventures in Learning with Dr. Diane 🎧
Inspire curiosity. Spark creativity. Fuel a lifelong love of learning.
Are you an educator, librarian, parent, or STEM/STEAM enthusiast looking to make learning come alive for kids? Adventures in Learning with Dr. Diane is your go-to podcast for hands-on, joyful learning that connects STEM/STEAM education, multicultural children's literature, and real-world exploration.
Join Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor, educator and explorer, as she travels the world (literally and virtually!) to bring you conversations with award-winning authors, illustrators, educators, scientists, and STEM leaders. Each episode delivers fresh ideas, engaging stories, and practical tips to inspire early childhood and elementary learners—in the classroom, the library, or at home. Wonder, curiosity, connection, and play -- we bring the world to you!
🌎 Featuring:
- Innovative STEM/STEAM experiences
- Diverse children's book recommendations
- Strategies for inquiry-based, joyful learning through play
- Voices from around the globe that inspire the WOW
🧠 Perfect for:
Early childhood & elementary educators | School librarians | Homeschoolers | Caregivers | STEM/STEAM champions
🔗 Explore featured books: bookshop.org/shop/drdianeadventures
📝 Read full show notes: drdianeadventures.com/blog
💌 Have an idea or guest suggestion? Email: diane@drdianeadventures.com
👉 Subscribe, rate, and review to support more Adventures in Learning!
Dr. Diane's Adventures in Learning
Fighting for the First Amendment: Comedy, Community, and Hope with Jesenia
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
What happens when artists refuse to stay silent? Puerto Rican actress and NBC Diversity Monologue Slam champion Jesenia joins Dr. Diane to discuss protecting First Amendment rights, creating comedy during difficult times, and why "productive delusion" might be the secret to hope.
Dr. Diane and Jesenia—a seasoned actress, writer, and comedy performer who has appeared on Starz and Showtime -- discuss their shared involvement with the Committee for the First Amendment, relaunched by Jane Fonda in 2025 to protect artistic expression. Jesenia shares her journey in the entertainment industry, the importance of creating work for yourself, navigating rejection and burnout, and why finding your joy is an act of resistance. The episode explores diversity in entertainment, immigrant contributions to American culture, and maintaining hope through community action and individual courage.
Chapters & Timestamps:
[00:00] How the Committee for the First Amendment (and Jane Fonda) brought two activists together
[07:48] Why the First Amendment matters for children's book authors, illustrators, and readers
[11:17] Immigrants and American creativity – Celebrating how diversity drives innovation and cultural richness
[18:22] The power of collective action and individual work in building beloved community
[22:33] The short film renaissance – Oscar-qualified comedies, creating your own opportunities, and why short attention spans changed entertainment
[28:36] Advice for young artists on building a sustainable career, avoiding burnout, taking breaks, and doing what you love
[34:42] Creating when the industry says no – Why Jesenia learned to write, produce, and perform her own work
[41:48] What brings you hope? (Maybe a little delusion)
Links & Resources:
- Follow the Committee for the First Amendment on Instagram
- Jesenia on Backstage, Instagram, YouTube, IMDb, and LinkedIn
Call to Action:
Ready to protect creative freedom and find your joy generator? Listen to Episode 188 of Adventures in Learning with Dr. Diane, share it with artists, educators, and advocates who believe hope is a verb, and visit drdianadventures.com for full resources. Subscribe, rate, and review to keep the conversation going about creativity, courage, and community.
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*Disclosure: I am a Bookshop.org. affiliate.
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