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The official podcast of Grand Island Public Schools in Nebraska. The GIPS Cast is a conversation-based podcast exploring the world of public education thru the voices of one of Nebraska’s...
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The official podcast of Grand Island Public Schools in Nebraska.
The GIPS Cast is a conversation-based podcast exploring the world of public education thru the voices of one of Nebraska’s largest, most diverse school districts.
#WeAreGIPS
show less
The GIPS Cast is a conversation-based podcast exploring the world of public education thru the voices of one of Nebraska’s largest, most diverse school districts.
#WeAreGIPS
Episodes & Posts
Episodes
Posts
30 JUN 2026 · Exciting stories and a new format are on the horizon for 'The GIPS Cast'!
Mitchell Roush, GIPS Communications Director, joins the podcast to share a brief public service announcement in two parts.
Part One:
'The GIPS Cast' will be on a brief intermission for the month of July 2026.
Part Two:
We're updating the podcast format and storytelling focus starting in August 2026.
Hear Mitch's update for the full rundown of what's next for the podcast.
Even with our monthlong intermission and new formatting on the horizon, we will continue anchoring each episode with the voices and stories of our staff and students.
Because it’s our staff and students who make Grand Island Public Schools a great place to be.
Don’t go anywhere listeners!
Our break is just for the month of July.
In the meantime, you’re welcome to listen, or perhaps RElisten, to our backlog of 75 episodes.
And as we ramp up for the 2026-27 school year, we’ll be back with some more great stories from our district.
See you soon!
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HOST:
Mitchell Roush - GIPS Communications Director
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WEBSITE: https://www.gips.org
FB: facebook.com/GrandIslandPublicSchools
IG: @gipublicschools
9 JUN 2026 · Breanna McDonald is a community builder.
Mrs. McDonald has been with GIPS for a decade, with the last four years serving as the Principal of Lincoln Elementary. As a former Kindergarten Teacher and Academic Support Coach, she has a big heart for not just reaching every student — but advocating for every student and their families.
Everything she does is fueled by the mission of building a strong community. A community for her staff to feel supported in collaboration and their expertise; a community for students to feel seen, heard, and gain opportunities for them to succeed; a community for families to feel like Lincoln Elementary is their second home. All of it is community.
At the close of the school year, Mrs. McDonald joined our podcast to share her philosophy of public education, and give an inside glimpse into what makes Lincoln Elementary special and how she and her staff view each school day as an opportunity to make an impact.
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GUEST:
Breanna McDonald - Lincoln Elementary Principal
HOST:
Mitchell Roush - GIPS Communications Director
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FB: facebook.com/GrandIslandPublicSchools
https://www.gips.org/
13 MAY 2026 · There’s power in the written and the spoken word.
That’s certainly the message our current state poet, Jewel Rodgers, is taking with her to call corners of Nebraska.
For those that don’t know, Jewel Rodgers is a creative force. She fills a room with laughter, with dynamic spoken word gravitas, and spend 10 minutes with her and you’ll know beyond a doubt that she is driven by not only sharing her creative work but championing the power of voice in others.
Jewel served as the Nebraska State Poet since 2025 and is the first African American to hold the role. She has been a spoken word poet for more than a decade, performing in schools, festivals, community settings, conferences, public events, and other venues.
Recently, Jewel visited Grand Island Senior High to lead a student writers workshop and host a Poetry Reading & Open Mic Night event.
GISH Senior Tessa Bockoven sat down with Jewel, on the mic, to dish on poetry, the creative process, the effects of A.I., and so, so much more. Their conversation is an authentic journey of two creatives — one in high school venturing soon to college; and the other a statewide ambassador for all things poetry.
Jewel even performs one of her favorite personal pieces.
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GUESTS:
Jewel Rodgers - Nebraska State Poet
Tessa Bockoven - GISH Senior
HOST:
Mitchell Roush - GIPS Communications Director
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FB: facebook.com/GrandIslandPublicSchools
https://www.gips.org/
7 APR 2026 · "Trying to put kids into history helps make those connections and makes it [learning] fun for them... There's endless possibilities and opportunities."
Jen Kramer is more than a Middle School Social Studies Teacher — she is a cheerleader for all Middle School students.
11 years into teaching at the Middle School level, you’ll find an incredible blend of learning, laughter, fun, and insight in her classroom. Sometimes she’ll be dressed-up in a George Washington costume — and all of it driven by connecting with students and helping them connect with the power of other people’s stories.
Ms. Kramer joins 'The GIPS Cast' to dish on social studies, the fun found in teaching Middle School, and the lasting impact of public education.
Because she believes every student can do great things, and that history has a way of sparking inspiration.
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GUEST:
Jen Kramer - 8th Grade Social Studies Teacher, Westridge Middle Schools
HOST:
Mitchell Roush - GIPS Communications Director
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FB: facebook.com/GrandIslandPublicSchools
https://www.gips.org/
24 MAR 2026 · "Young people have the voice — we just need to pass the mic."
For 25 years, Mentor Nebraska has been a leader in honoring the past and empowering the next generation.
This year, Mentor Nebraska launched something really cool; something that’s been on their vision board for a while. This year, Mentor Nebraska established its first ever Youth Advisory Board. Made up of nine high school students from across Nebraska, the Youth Advisory Board exists to amplify youth voices and to give student leaders the opportunity to shape the vision and impact of mentoring for both the present and the future.
As if that wasn’t cool enough, Grand Island Senior High has three student representatives serving on this landmark Youth Advisory Board. Angie, Reagan, & Zuri are more than just high school students — they’re leaders with passion.
Angie, Reagan, & Zuri join the podcast alongside Melissa Westbrook, Mentor Nebraska Associate Director of Member Engagement & Learning, to chat about why mentoring for youth matters, and how students are saving the world.
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GUESTS:
Angie De Orta - GISH Junior
Zuri Gomez Cotom - GISH Senior
Reagan Kort - GISH Senior
Melissa Westbrook - Mentor Nebraska Associate Director of Engagement & Learning
HOST:
Mitchell Roush - GIPS Communications Director
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FB: facebook.com/GrandIslandPublicSchools
https://www.gips.org/
3 MAR 2026 · “Education at its core is the essence of upward mobility… So if you have a great foundation of exploring in life and trying new things, that life will never lose its luster.”
As a proud Islander alum of the class of 1995, Brian Levander knew he wanted a future in the trades. And that’s where his passion led him.
Nearly 30 years later, Brian is the proud Owner & CEO of Levander’s Automotive. Operating shops in numerous states and all across Nebraska, he was intentional in building his foundation in the community that raised him… Grand Island.
Levander joins ‘The GIPS Cast’ to share his story of working hard and finding his passion, and how communities are only as strong as their public schools and vice versa.
Because it’s not just about working hard; it’s about building something that you’re proud of.
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GUEST:
Brian Levander - Owner & CEO of Levander's Automotive
HOST:
Mitchell Roush - GIPS Communications Director
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FB: facebook.com/GrandIslandPublicSchools
https://www.gips.org/
27 JAN 2026 · Max Mendez is a busy student.
A Senior at Grand Island Senior High, he’s taking AP and gaining hands-on learning experiences with community partners through Senior Capstone. Max is also a leader in the GISH SkillsUSA chapter, the Nebraska State Treasurer for SkillsUSA after serving as a State Parliamentarian last year, he's in HOSA for future healthcare workers, and he’s a team leader for the Islander Robotics team.
And that’s what makes Max’s story a meaningful one, because his story is like many others at Grand Island Senior High and at public schools across the country. It all started by him saying “yes” to get involved in a few things as a Freshman. From there he met friends, found confidence in classes, shared his ideas, and speaks in front of students and delegates (even when he's afraid).
Because it's not just about learning; it's about empowering students to discover who they want to be.
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GUEST:
Max Mendez - Senior at GISH
HOST:
Mitchell Roush - GIPS Communications Director
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FB: facebook.com/GrandIslandPublicSchools
https://www.gips.org/
13 JAN 2026 · Did you know that our Middle School students take financial literacy courses?
While we have personal finance classes at GISH, it’s really at the Middle School level that we see money starting to make sense for students.
For Mr. Blake Teichmeier, Middle School is the perfect time to start talking with students about money because of all the life exploration and opportunities that hit when a kid turns 13 and 14 years old. More importantly, he believes anchoring Financial Literacy concepts at the Middle School level gives students the confidence to become responsible decision makers.
Mr. Teichmeier is the Financial Literacy Teacher at Walnut Middle School. He joins our podcast to talk about how creativity, real world job simulations, and recreating a financial infrastructure in his classes helps students gain valuable money — and life — insights. He also shares the story of winning an award and start-up money for a special financial literacy project he’s been working on for a number of years.
Because it's not just about making sense out of money, it's about equipping students with what they need to be confident decision makers.
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GUEST:
Blake Teichmeier - Walnut Middle School Financial Literacy Teacher
HOST:
Mitchell Roush - GIPS Communications Director
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FB: facebook.com/GrandIslandPublicSchools
https://www.gips.org/
16 DEC 2025 · "We're making history together right now."
Laura Gamboa Urrego believes everyone should feel welcome in their hometown.
Coming to Grand Island from the country of Colombia as a Kindergartner, she experienced first-hand the power of feeling welcome in a new space… Her local public schools.
As a student at Newell Elementary, Walnut Middle School, and Grand Island Senior High, she learned to speak English, she thrived in her educational journey thanks to incredible educators, and she found her passion for connecting with people in the community.
After graduation from GISH in 2016 she ventured to the University of Nebraska Lincoln where she earned degrees in Global Studies and Political Science and minored in Human Rights.
With her degrees in-hand, and a love for welcoming folks from around the world Laura headed back to her hometown of Grand Island to give back to the community that gave her so much.
And that’s where we find her today.
Laura currently serves as the Director of Community Engagement at Stuhr Museum — one of Grand Island’s flagship organizations.
She was kind enough to stop to share her story with us for our annual alumni series.
Because what makes the work of public education so meaningful is seeing how our students continue to make an impact after high school.
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GUEST:
Laura Gamboa Urrego - Stuhr Museum Director of Community Engagement
HOST:
Mitchell Roush - GIPS Communications Director
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FB: facebook.com/GrandIslandPublicSchools
https://www.gips.org/
18 NOV 2025 · If you give students the opportunity to speak-up, they will. And they’re going to remind you that they’re astute, observant, and every bit as invested in their experiences as adults are – if not more so.
On this special episode of 'The GIPS Cast', you'll hear a conversation between some 8th Grade students and their State Senator.
Senator Dan Quick is a Representative for District 35 in our Nebraska State Legislature. He’s a Grand Island guy.
Last week, he visited Barr Middle School. He shared a bit of his story during an assembly, students asked him questions, he visited a science class, he explored hallway passing periods, and event got to experience a fire drill.
The highlight of Senator Quick’s visit was when he sat down with three 8th Graders for an interview.
Mya, Dezirae, & Jaxsen are student leaders. They’re supportive of their classmates, involved in a number of extracurricular activities, and all three of them are deeply invested in making their school as great as it can been.
So, they took advantage of an incredible opportunity: They sat down with Senator Quick to interview him for this podcast.
As you’ll hear, the students were professional, but they asked the Senator good questions about how their voices can be heard, how their student experiences will be impacted by the legislature, and how Senator Quick enjoyed the chance to speak with students.
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GUESTS:
Senator Dan Quick - Nebraska Legislature
Mya, Dezirae, & Jaxsen - Barr 8th Grade Students
HOST:
Mitchell Roush - GIPS Communications Director
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FB: facebook.com/GrandIslandPublicSchools
https://www.gips.org/
The official podcast of Grand Island Public Schools in Nebraska. The GIPS Cast is a conversation-based podcast exploring the world of public education thru the voices of one of Nebraska’s...
show more
The official podcast of Grand Island Public Schools in Nebraska.
The GIPS Cast is a conversation-based podcast exploring the world of public education thru the voices of one of Nebraska’s largest, most diverse school districts.
#WeAreGIPS
show less
The GIPS Cast is a conversation-based podcast exploring the world of public education thru the voices of one of Nebraska’s largest, most diverse school districts.
#WeAreGIPS
Information
| Author | Grand Island Public Schools |
| Organization | Mitch Roush |
| Categories | Education |
| Website | www.gips.org |
| communications@gips.org |
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