At a time of growing uncertainty for federally funded agencies everywhere, we talk with the head of the largest local provider of early education services about the road ahead. Founded in 1966, Episcopal Children Services welcomed a new CEO in 2024. The agency provides holistic family services, including Head Start, Early Head Start and VPK programs. Serving Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Citrus, Clay, Dixie, Duval, Gilchrist, Lake, Levy, Marion, Nassau, Putnam and St. Johns counties, it’s one of the state's largest youth-service organizations. But recent federal funding cuts have forced all social service agencies to consider contingency plans for support and future funding.
Guest:
- Dr. Natalya Roby, president and CEO of Episcopal Children Services.
Then, turning pollution fines into cleaner river water. The upcoming Trout River Oysterfest will place concrete and oyster shell “modules” in the waters off Riverview Park to help stabilize the shoreline and attract living oysters to improve water quality. The project is paid for by the Northeast Florida Environmental Conservation Fund, financed by legal payments made by industrial facilities found to have violated their stormwater permits.
Guests:
- John Henry November, executive director and general counsel at the Public Trust.
- Marshiray Wellington, chair of the Riverview Collective Community Organization.
And, after a period of disruption that has included three artistic directors in six months, and multiple production delays and cancellations, we catch up with the new leadership at All Beaches Experimental Theatre about what they’re doing to right the ship and reorganize the 33-year-old organization.
Guests:
- Raines Carr, interim artistic director at All Beaches Experimental Theatre.
- Bryce Cofield, ABET director.
