Last Thursday, a North Central College adult psychopathology class presented their research and experience working on a podcast series designed for parents and caregivers.
Marion Ruthig, founder and executive director of the Inside Out Club, partnered with psychology professor Dr. Leila Azarbad and her class to create six podcast episodes to help people thrive in their parenting journey.
“We thought of this idea of collaborating together because we’re both passionate about empowering our youth–college students, and all the way down,” said Ruthig. “We thought this would be a wonderful experience for the students, but then would also benefit the parents and the families that the Inside Out Club serves.”
Students create the podcast series for parents
The class was divided into six groups, each focusing on a topic related to youth, such as mental health, happiness, friendships, the arts, and technology. Each group selected a topic that resonated most with them.
“Our topic dealt with the pros and cons of using technology, and how parents can develop a healthy relationship with technology, as well as children,” said Raven Range, a sophomore student at North Central College.
“I grew up with technology my whole life, so I feel like I could offer at least that personal experience of giving that to parents, because I know a lot of parents, especially my own mom, didn’t really grow up with technology as I did. So I can at least offer up some good about it because there’s a lot of fear behind it,” Range added.
Each podcast episode runs around 20 minutes, with the first half featuring student-led discussions based on their research, and the second half featuring an interview with an expert in the field.
“We want our students to learn in a variety of ways, and doing the research on their own is great, but talking with people in the field who are actually doing the work is another really great way for them to expand their knowledge and that knowledge then can trickle down to the parents who are listening as well,” said Dr. Azarbad.
The podcast series also benefited the students
Dr. Azarbad said the podcasts helped students work on communication, teamwork, creativity, and empathy, while providing insight for those pursuing careers in related fields.
“I also learned about the huge importance that friendship played. I’ve always had some idea that friendship is really important, especially in youth, but the role it has is so huge. It’s something I’m going to carry with me into the future,” said Matt Henning, a junior student at North Central College.
Where to find the podcast series
All six episodes of the podcast for parents series can be found on the Inside Out Club website. Though this was Inside Out Club’s first year producing the series, Ruthig said she hopes to bring it back in the future.
“We feel like this collaboration was wonderful. It really benefited the college students, [and] it’s going to benefit us and our audience. We would love to do it again, so we’re hoping that we’ll be able to partner, perhaps next year, with North Central College or perhaps even with other partners. I think it’s just a wonderful way to put together some meaningful content for parents,” said Ruthig.
If you have a story idea, we want to hear from you!
