Family Friendly Fort Lauderdale

Today we met with Noelia Suarez (Executive Director) and Ken Fisher (Founder) to talk about the mission to educate and empower humanity about the power of our daily choices and the huge impact these choices have on the health and wellbeing of both ourselves and our planet.

At Heal The Planet, they believe that Small Acts create Huge Impact, and we are extremely excited to share our 100+ Ways To Heal The Planet. The mission is to educate and empower the next generation of children and adults about the power of our daily choices and the huge impact these choices have on the health and well-being of both ourselves and our planet. 100+ Ways is designed to help you select a few new habits that you can implement to make a positive impact on a healthier, more abundant, and sustainable planet. Heal The Planet has a number programs offered throughout the year, but the signature event is Heal The Planet Day on April 21st at Esplanade Park. Come out and celebrate Earth Day by bringing together the South Florida community for a day of family-friendly activities. Heal The Planet Day is a great event with an amazing array of activities for all ages, food vendors, live entertainment, and their amazing 25-foot Globe. https://healtheplanet.com/

The Miss Arc Broward Pageant is an inspiring event for young women ages 6-17 with disabilities. Contestants participate in a supportive pageant environment that builds confidence, lifelong friendships, and a truly unforgettable and heartwarming experience. The Miss Arc Broward Pageant sends participants and the community a powerful message of empowerment and support for individuals with disabilities. https://arcbroward.com/miss-arc-broward/

Let's talk to Camp Live Oak - serving Broward County for over 35 years and winning dozens of awards for their safety and programming!

Camp Live Oak is located in Ft. Lauderdale. We offer both environmental and marine science curricula, with activities centered around unique environmental themes each week. A variety of activities occur every week, all rotating on various days. Field trips, on-site adventures, and guest speakers are scheduled to give each child an extremely well-rounded camp experience. They even offer a Science of the Sea marine science program right from Birch State Park beside the ocean beaches! https://www.campliveoakfl.com/

Today we are chatting with Bobby Rodriguez, the original and still Founder of Ren-Fest, the Florida Renaissance Festival. We will be hearing lot's of interesting stories from starting a one day festival that almost never happened... to now hosting 8 unique themed weekends. https://www.ren-fest.com/

It's the 50th year anniversary at the Broward County Library, so let's chat with Library Director Allison Grubbs. With 37 ​branch locations covering more than one million square feet, host over 10 million visitors and circulate nine million items annually, and over one million library card holders who can choose from over three million library materials for public use. Learn more about the Broward County Library system and its many offerings at: https://www.broward.org/library/Pages/Default.aspx

ArtServe ushers in the new year with a fresh take on the past, present and future through art works, retro music, interactive creative stations for kids and adults, guest speaker to discuss the future of A.I., and more!

The Friends of Birch State Park is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization formed to help preserve, conserve, enhance, and promote Hugh Taylor Birch State Park through community support. The organization has initiated and assisted in securing funding for several large-scale capital improvement projects, such as the installation of a new floating dock and welcome pavilion, cleaning of the park’s coastal dune lake and moat, and replacement of the north playground equipment. They have also raised funds for the installation of a meditation garden and the restoration of the park’s beach tunnel. Additionally, they fund the park’s live animal program and purchase supplies and needed veterinary care for the program. The Friends of Birch State Park is dedicated to supporting the preservation and enhancement of the park through various initiatives and projects. For more information: https://birchstatepark.org/

Superhero Swim Academy has designed an exciting, productive and fun curriculum to teach proper swimming techniques that could help save lives! For more information: https://www.superheroswimacademy.com/

Ignite Broward is South Florida’s most exciting, family-friendly festival of interactive art and technology is coming back to Broward brighter than ever. Presented by Broward County Cultural Division in partnership with MAD Arts, Ignite features immersive large-scale projection mapping and interactive light sculptures and installations in Fort Lauderdale and Dania Beach, Florida. The third annual IGNITE festival runs from January 24 through 28, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale and Dania Beach, with an array of immersive and interactive light and sound-based experiences created by top national and international artists and designers using the most innovative digital technologies. For more information visit: https://ignitebroward.com/

Meet Khrystyne Jamerson from the South Florida Wildlife Center and their mission to protect wildlife through rescue, rehabilitation, and education. This hidden gem is close to Snyder Park and since 1969, the South Florida Wildlife Center has treated and rehabilitated thousands of injured and orphaned wildlife animals in the tri-county area. The Center is the highest-volume wildlife hospital in Florida, admitting between 10,000-12,000 animals each year. https://www.southfloridawildlifecenter.org/

Since 1988, over 20,000 children have been educated and inspired by their participation in the Florida Youth Orchestra. In this week's episode we talk with Myra Weaver, the Chief Executive Officer of the 501(c)3. https://www.floridayouthorchestra.org/index.html

Looking for a great after-school option that will build discipline and fitness? On this week's featured episode of the podcast, we talk with Sensei Bruce at Fort Lauderdale Jiu Jitsu about how they make it easy for families to see what the martial arts experience will be like: https://ftljj.com/

At FFFTL we love finding and sharing cool activities that our local families can enjoy here in South Florida. One of those activities can be the local sports leagues, but where do you start? If you've been wanting to get your girls involved with a local softball league, in this episode we talk with Kristy and Nicole from BP Academy (a favorite amongst our learners at Acton Academy). For more info visit: https://www.instagram.com/bp__academy/

Meet Lorra Daily, author of What Makes Me: ABC Affirmations to Empower, which just hit #1 on Amazon for a New Release in "Children's Books on Health."

Lorra is a "LaunchPadder" at Acton Academy in Austin, Texas and in this podcast we talk about what that means, how she became a published author before graduating from HS, and how she started writing this book when she was twelve. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CHL92T91/

Learn More About The Stranahan House and The Founding Families Fall Festival

From 5-8pm and free for all, come out on Sept 22nd for the Founding Families Fall Festival. There will be food trucks, beer and wine vendors, games for people of all ages, live music, and of course the living history of the Stranhan House located right in the heart of downtown Fort Lauderdale: https://stranahanhouse.org/founding-families-fall-festival/

South Florida is surging. Whether you count new residents, business growth, dollars flowing, or even traffic counts - Fort Lauderdale is one of the hottest markets in the country. In today's episode we meet with Jenni Morejon of the DDA who has been doing their part to power this growth - and she will be sharing what makes FTL unique compared against its sister cities all across the country. Don't miss Part 1 where we explored the latest developments of the Huizenga Reimagined project. Visit https://www.ddaftl.org/ for more information

Imagine a world-class park and greenspace with all the amenities right in the heart of the Downtown... that is exactly what the Huizenga Reminagined project is all about. In this Part 1 session, we talk about this major project that will change the feel of downtown Fort Lauderdale. Don't miss Part 2 where we dig into the DDA's dedicated work in the surging growth of South Florida. Visit https://www.ddaftl.org/ for more information

Supermoms helps lay the foundation for a lifetime of success in education and community. They serve as a hub for local moms to dish online and gather in real life, either via planned playdates (with kids) or seminars and workshops (without kids) hosted by Supermoms of Broward Inc. For more information visit: https://www.thesupermoms.org/

This week is Broward Navy Days, aka Fleet Week here in Fort Lauderdale. It is a great time to see the ships, the sailors, and even the jets who will be filling the skies for the Air Show over the weekend. Tune in for this short visit with LT Johnson and OS1 Tosun to talk about their visit to the Port and FTL. Thank you to Lt Chris Johnson from Alabama and OS1 Alyssa Tosun (from right here in Broward County) for taking the chat with us.

Meet One of Fort Lauderdale's Innovative Entrepreneurs, Julie Janides of Toy Trader App (@toytradermama and @toytraderapp). She saw a problem and a potential solution for that endless line of requests - "can I buy a toy?" What if instead of buying... your children started trading? Join us as we dig into how the app got started. https://toytraderapp.com/

So excited to bring on this week's guest, Jairo Ibarra, Executive Vice President of the Florida Renaissance Festival. We will be talking about new attractions this year, the contagious spirit of Ren-Fest performers and guests, plus a whole lot more. Make sure you check out www.Ren-Fest.com for their themed weekends!

What Does The Future of Fort Lauderdale Look Like? You can see all the building, but what is happening behind the scenes at the City level to help promote and innovate for all this growth. Today we spoke with Ben Sorensen, former Vice Mayor of Fort Lauderdale, and president of Sorensen Consulting.

There's lot's going on at the NSU Art Museum, including workshops for all ages and certain days when you can visit free of charge. Have you been to the NSU Art Museum lately? https://nsuartmuseum.org/

These days stressful days and busy schedules (holidays, etc) can be a lot... for all of us, but especially for children who are highly sensitive. In today's episode we explore how to help them manage the overwhelm, with guest Nicole Zimmerman of Sensory Mama.

Drive down Broward Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale and you can miss the spire for the First Baptist Church and its full block campus holding sway over the downtown. But did you know about all the events they have planned for the New Year? That's the topic of today's podcast with Danny Somers, Head of Outreach for the church community.

Did you know that the Broward Center educational programming has a number of SmartStage events where home-schooling families can see a show and then participate in a workshop at a discounted price. In this episode we will meet with Jacob Aronin, Director of Education at the Broward Center to talk about SmartStage, their slate of spring classes, and their upcoming Open House on January 21st.

On Saturday, January 28th 11AM - 4PM, AOTA Visual Arts Festival and Heal the Planet 501c3 will be producing a full day of kids' art and conservation activities on the outdoor patio of Sistrunk Marketplace ( 115 NW 6th St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311).

This week we are talking to Patrick Harris of Go Riverwalk about the 13th Annual Stone Crab & Seafood Festival at Esplanade Park on January 7th, 2023. 

This highly anticipated event showcasing the best of South Florida seafood restaurants and gourmet food trucks.  Dive into mouth-watering signature seafood dishes of conch, shrimp, crab, lobster, fresh fish and more, deliciously barbequed, boiled, broiled, baked, fried or sautéed. There’s even landlubber fare available.

Earlier this year, we had the wonderful opportunity to meet and visit with Kerry McDonald of the LiberatED podcast. Kerry was in Fort Lauderdale visiting a number of the innovative micro-schools that make up South Florida's bourgeoning environment for alternative education. This podcast is a replay of the conversation with Kerry after her visit to Acton Academy Fort Lauderdale. You can listen to more LiberatED episodes on: https://go.fee.org/liberated

School is out over the holiday break - so what is there for the younglings to do? How about visit your local library. I think you will be surprised how much programming is available. We visit with Kim White - the Youth Services Coordinator for Broward County Public Libraries.

With Over $34 Billion In Annual Economic Activity, Port Everglades is the hub of cruise ships and transportation in South Florida. Today we are talking with Jonathan Daniels, the Port Director and Chief Executive of Port Everglades.

Recently, our ES learners at Acton Academy Fort Lauderdale explored the communication medium of podcasting. Completion of the "Writer's Workshop" Badge included being published to the Family Friendly Fort Lauderdale podcast channel. In this episode, we hear from each about what they learned from their experience. As our learners improve their communication skills, in future years they will be able to apprentice with the FFFTL media team for regular contributions to the channel.

Recently, our ES learners at Acton Academy Fort Lauderdale explored the communication medium of podcasting. Completion of the "Writer's Workshop" Badge included being published to the Family Friendly Fort Lauderdale podcast channel. In this short episode, Savannah shares her research into the tornado that hit Cooper City recently.

Recently, our ES learners at Acton Academy Fort Lauderdale explored the communication medium of podcasting. Completion of the "Writer's Workshop" Badge included being published to the Family Friendly Fort Lauderdale podcast channel. In this short episode, Massimo shares his interest and what he is learning about the Live Oak (known as Grandfather Tree) and its Biome on the AAFTL campus. As our learners improve their communication skills, in future years they will be able to apprentice with the FFFTL media team for regular contributions to the channel.

Recently, our ES learners at Acton Academy Fort Lauderdale explored the communication medium of podcasting. Completion of the "Writer's Workshop" Badge included being published to the Family Friendly Fort Lauderdale podcast channel. In this short episode, Divya talks about her love of playing cello in the Florida Youth Symphony. As our learners improve their communication skills, in future years they will be able to apprentice with the FFFTL media team for regular contributions to the channel.

Recently, our ES learners at Acton Academy Fort Lauderdale explored the communication medium of podcasting. Completion of the "Writer's Workshop" Badge included being published to the Family Friendly Fort Lauderdale podcast channel. In this short episode, Dillen talks about his love of playing basketball. As our learners improve their communication skills, in future years they will be able to apprentice with the FFFTL media team for regular contributions to the channel.

Recently, our ES learners at Acton Academy Fort Lauderdale explored the communication medium of podcasting. Completion of the "Writer's Workshop" Badge included being published to the Family Friendly Fort Lauderdale podcast channel. In this short episode, Ayla talks about her love of playing softball. As our learners improve their communication skills, in future years they will be able to apprentice with the FFFTL media team for regular contributions to the channel.

The annual Winterfest Boat Parade Is One Of Those Uniquely Fort Lauderdale Events that can only happen when your city is known as the Venice of America. With holiday lights, music, and dancing, this parade of the waterways attracts big crowds eager to celebrate the season. In this episode we talk with Winterfest planning board member, Brewster Knotts about all things Winterfest: https://winterfestparade.com/

People come from all over the world to explore the wonderland that is Fort Lauderdale and its beaches. So why not savor a "staycation" this holiday season, and take in all the things that draw our 14M visitors each year. In this episode we will talk with Arianne Glassman from "The Loop" at Fort Lauderdale Beach to talk about what you won't want to miss in December.Visit www.TheLoopFLB.com for more information.

You remember what middle school was like, right? Not easy. But what if you could attend the coolest middle school in town? Colossal Academy Offers An Alternative Approach To Fort Lauderdale Middle Schools - with Founder Shiren Rattigan. You can learn more at https://www.colossal-academy.com/

Every month there are new events and happenings at MODS. The Museum of Discovery & Science is a Fort Lauderdale hub of experiential learning for families and school groups. For today's podcast, we will be talking with Elspeth Walker, Asst. Manager of Public Programs and one of the MODS team you will see at their ever-changing events.

What's more Fort Lauderdale, than cruising Millionaire's Row to see all the decorated homes from the water. You can do that this holiday season with the Water Taxi. In this episode we talk with Chloe Dossett and learn all the different ways you can go by water.

100 Things to Do in Fort Lauderdale Before You Die offers an insider’s look at all the best ways to make the most of your next vacation. Visitors can order a Dom Perignon breakfast at The Floridian on bustling Las Olas Boulevard, kayak through the mangroves, enjoy the New River’s waterfront mansions by Water Taxi, indulge in contemporary art at the NSU Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale, watch the mermaid show at the storied Wreck Bar, take part in the area’s annual traditions like the Winterfest Boat Parade―and that’s just the beginning. 

As a seasoned journalist who has lived in the Fort Lauderdale area for more than a decade, including being a regular contributor for the Greater Fort Lauderdale Visitors & Convention Bureau, author Christiana Lilly leads readers through the city’s historic landmarks, dining gems, quirky shops, and culture scene that makes the city so special. You can buy Christiana's book here: https://www.amazon.com/100-Things-Fort.../dp/1681063840

With the holiday season upon us, we will be talking with Tim McGovern of Fort Lauderdale Parks & Rec to learn more about the many different Light Up Lauderdale events that are planned to bring holiday cheer to the greater FTL area.

We've been watching the School of Rock House Band perform at a number of local events, so we are excited to welcome Burny Pelsmajer of School of Rock Broward to the Family Friendly Fort Lauderdale podcast. We talked about how the movie inspired the growth of a network of schools across the country, and how the students grow their passion with music they love. You can learn more about our local musicians at https://www.schoolofrock.com/locations/fortlauderdale

Did you know that each week we publish a fun newsletter of what's going on in the Greater Fort Lauderdale area? These are the events that you don't want to find out about AFTER they happened... so we send out a curated basket of goodies each week.

Use this link if you want to make sure you get your copy every Thursday: https://familyfriendlyfortlauderdale.com/