In this introductory episode, Host Roel Mason-Vivit will dive into the question, "What is Crew?" He shares some of his own perspectives on Crew structure and culture and offers us a window into what Crew sounds and feels like.

Roel's guest is a media producer, Rosa Gaia, who has visited and made multimedia work about over 30 schools practicing Crew across the country. She presents an original song-essay that gives an overview of Crew that uses audio illustrations, verbal explanations, samples of real Crew recordings, and instrumental performances from middle school Crew members . Rosa visits Escalante school in Colorado, and hears from a Crew leader and teacher of 30-years of teaching experience, John Hise. We also talk to his students, Canyon and Dallen, and hear recordings of their Crew meetings.

Roel then connects with the school he helped open in Chicago, Polaris Charter Academy. We visit a daily crew session and a special yearly Crew Community event. Roel reunites with a former student, Mikael, who speaks of the impact of Crew on his life.

Original music, audio engineering and mixing on Crew Not Passengers is by Sean Brennan.

Produced and edited by Rosa Gaia.

Thumbnail Artwork by Jada Walters, a high school student and Crew member at Metropolitan Expeditionary Learning School in Queens, NY.

Audio clips featured in the heartbeat song and throughout the episode include:
- Conway Elementary School in Escondido, California,
- Metropolitan Expeditionary Learning School in Queens, New York,
- Fox Creek Elementary School in Littleton, Colorado.
- Meadow Glen middle school in Lexington, Kentucky.
- River Bluff High School in Lexington, Kentucky.
- Capital City Charter School in Washington, DC.
- Casco Bay high school in Portland, Maine.
- Launch Expeditionary Learning School in Brooklyn, New York.
- Hollis Innovation Academy in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Springfield Renaissance in Springfield, Massachusetts.
- Amana Academy in Alpharetta, Georgia
- Polaris Charter Academy in Chicago, Illinois.

The Crew heartbeat song featured instrumental performances by Adeline, Gianna, Destiny, Tomeh, Malia and Lizzie at the Expeditionary Learning Middle School ELMS in Syracuse, New York. ELMS musicians were directed and recorded by their teacher, Megan Hirsch.

To learn more about our organization and to find additional crew resources, please visit eleducation.org and to hear additional episodes of the podcast and learn more about implementing Crew, check out EL Education's Crew Navigator. This interactive course will give you tools and strategies to understand, prepare for, practice and improve Crew at your school. Find it at https://eleducation.org/what-we-offer/curriculum-services/online-courses

Series Premiere: What is Crew? (Part 1 of 2)