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Family Hotline Podcast Series

November 11, 2025

When parenting questions call, The STEMIE Family Hotline answers! Listen in as the Diaz family gets real-time support from STEM experts, turning everyday activities from grocery shopping to bedtime into STEM learning opportunities with their 9-month-old. Because the truth is, everyone is a scientist and everywhere is a laboratory. 

Each podcast has the following structure:

  • Introduction: Why STEM is important, guest mention, & highlight STEM learning trajectories
  • Experiment: Introduce family and routine, & highlight scientific inquiry
  • Guest Calls: Guest calls in and discusses ways to support STEM learning. Emphasis is on making adaptations and individualizing for young children with disabilities
  • Wrap up: Summary of key learning and resources

Episodes 15-20 minutes.

Executive Producer: Wendy Sapp, Ph.D.
Producer: Jordan Brown
Consultants: Chih-Ing Lim, Ph.D., Hsiu-Wen Yang, Ph.D., Jessica Amsbary, Ph.D.
Voice over Artists: Shanna McRae (narrator); Sheli Baez (Nicole); David Davino (Eddie)
Produced in Partnership with Bridge Multimedia and STEMIE

Episode 1: Grocery Shopping for Natural Science

In this episode, the STEMIE Family Hotline helps a mom turn a stressful grocery trip with her baby into a fun science learning experience, with expert tips on keeping babies curious and engaged during everyday errands.

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Episode 2: Swinging into Physics at the Playground

In this episode, the STEMIE Family Hotline shows how playground fun with slides and swings can become exciting physics lessons, with expert tips and adaptations to help all children build early science skills through outdoor play.

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Episode 3: Splashing into Physics at Bathtime

In this episode, the STEMIE Family Hotline shows how bath time can become exciting physics lessons, with expert tips and adaptations to help all children build early science skills through water play.

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Episode 4: Rebooting Bedtime with Computational Thinking

In this episode, the STEMIE Family Hotline shows how bedtime can become calming and predictable with expert tips and adaptations to help all children build computational thinking skills.

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Episode 5: A Walk on the Natural Science Side

In this episode, the STEMIE Family Hotline turns a family nature walk into an exciting science adventure, with expert ideas for exploring nature and building language skills—even without a park.

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illustrative image of layla and mom folding laundry

Episode 6: Suds, Science, and Material Properties

In this episode, the STEMIE Family Hotline turns a laundromat trip into hands-on science learning, with expert advice on sensory-friendly strategies for busy parents and young children.

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Episode 7: When Playtime Needs Debugging

In this episode, the STEMIE Family Hotline guides Eddy and Leila through a block-building challenge that teaches problem-solving and confidence, with expert tips on using simple, “unplugged” activities to build thinking skills.

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Episode 8: Moving and Grooving with Repetition and Looping

In this episode, the STEMIE Family Hotline helps the Diaz family see how children’s love of repeating games supports brain development, with expert insights on using repetition to strengthen learning and inclusion.

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