Quick look: OCDE’s new ‘FutureCurrent’ podcast will feature unscripted conversations with educators, community leaders and partners from across Orange County. Hosted by County Superintendent Dr. Stefan Bean, the first episode is out now on podcast platforms and YouTube.
The Orange County Department of Education is launching a new podcast designed to amplify real stories, honest conversations and promising practices shaping the future of education.
Hosted by Orange County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Stefan Bean, FutureCurrent will feature unscripted, story-driven conversations with educators, industry leaders and community partners from across Orange County. The first episode is out today on all major podcast platforms, with a video version up on YouTube.
While FutureCurrent aims to address the challenges facing schools and communities, it will also explore potential solutions while highlighting the programs, partnerships and people already making a difference for students and families.
For Bean, the idea grew out of his day-to-day experience traveling across Orange County and seeing that work firsthand early in his tenure as county superintendent.
“One of the great privileges of this role is getting to meet incredible people across the county who are doing amazing work for students every single day,” he said. “I wanted to create a space where we could lift up those people and programs, share their stories and help connect families and communities to resources and opportunities they may not even realize are available to them.”
Uplifting conversations
Lainie Rowell, a bestselling author and award-winning educator with more than 25 years of experience in K–12 and higher education, joins Orange County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Stefan Bean behind the microphone on FutureCurrent. The first episode features a conversation between the two about why the podcast exists, what listeners can expect and the life experiences that drew Bean to a career in education.
That exchange sets the tone for a series grounded in lived experience and the often unseen work happening in schools and communities across Orange County. In future episodes, Bean and Rowell will be joined by special guests for conversations that explore not only what people do, but why they do it.
“That space to slow down and really listen is intentional,” Rowell said. “When people share their stories — where they come from, what they care about and how they show up for students — it helps all of us better understand both the challenges and the possibilities in front of us.”
Meaningful connections
As a county office of education, OCDE directly serves Orange County’s most vulnerable student populations and provides essential services that support districts and charter schools across the county.
Some FutureCurrent episodes may tie in OCDE’s broader work, which is based on the department’s 5-3-1 Strategic Plan. But if there’s a through-line of FutureCurrent, it’s exploring connections — between schools and communities, between challenges and solutions, and between the work happening today and what is possible next.
Those possibilities begin with people whose efforts sometimes go unseen beyond the campuses and communities they serve.
“There are always people ready to lift others up,” Bean said in the opening episode. “That’s the hope I carry into this work and that’s what FutureCurrent is all about.”
Produced by OCDE’s Communications and Media Team, new episodes of FutureCurrent will be released in both audio and video formats. Audio episodes will be available on major podcast platforms, with full video episodes and clips shared through YouTube and OCDE social media channels.