Bored of Boredom Featured in August Edition of Palisades Podcast

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

The August edition of Palisades Podcast, hosted by longtime community members Steve Cron and Maryam Zar, will feature not one but two local guests: Founder Hope Shinderman and Head of PR Sarah Kageyama of Pacific Palisades-based Bored of Boredom.

“Bored of Boredom was founded by a handful of enterprising young people who have a connection to Pacific Palisades,” Zar shared ahead of the episode. “[Bored of Boredom] is dedicated to educational equality for all, especially during the unprecedented time of COVID-19.”

The not-for-profit organization is the brainchild of Shinderman, a rising senior at Harvard-Westlake School and resident of the Highlands.

“Now that she sees the number of impediments kids will face under the COVID pandemic adjustments to learning and the shift to virtual instruction,” Zar continued, “she is sure the need to bring some assistance to students is acute.”

“Bored of Boredom provides free individual and group enrichment opportunities in both academic and non-academic subjects,” according to the BoB website. “We give learning opportunities to all, especially those who are receiving minimal to no remote schooling.”

The hosts of Palisades Podcast checked in with LAUSD District 4 Representative Nick Melvoin and his Chief Advisor & District Director Allison Holdorff Polhill in May, discussing the theme of online learning and the tech divide between Los Angeles families presenting a learning loss for students across the city.

“Virtual learning is expected to widen the learning gap that undeniably existed between families who were well resourced and those who struggled,” Zar explained. “Hope and the Bored of Boredom team have recognized this, and instead of waiting for the adults in charge to come up with a solution, they launched one from their laptops. They now have more than 900 students and more than 400 tutors, teaching in five languages from around the world.”

Bored of Boredom offers one-on-one tutoring, as well as classes and a full curriculum that includes social justice.

“We strive to bring enrichment opportunities to those who have historically been excluded from receiving such resources,” Shinderman shared with Zar.

“We take special care to cater to neurodiverse students, children who speak English as a second language or do not speak English at all,” Kageyama, a rising senior at Palisades Charter High School, added.

And the testimonials speak for themselves: Parents and families who have participated in the organization’s programming sing its praises.

“Your classes not only provide knowledge in a safe environment but also positive and healthy social interaction in which each kid gets to participate,” one client wrote in. “Thank you for all the hard work you guys put [in] and dedicate to our society.”

“This program has been a life saver for our family as I work full-time and my husband is overseas,” wrote a second person. “Thank you to all involved for your dedication to the kids and hard work.”

The Palisadian-Post has teamed up with Zar and Cron to present the Palisades Podcast. Each month, we will bring you an interview, hosted by Zar and Cron, highlighting extraordinary lives you might not otherwise have a chance to meet.

Previous guests include Anne Kerr-Adams, LAPD Captain Jonathan Tom, Steve Soboroff and Councilmember Mike Bonin.

To listen to this episode of Palisades Podcast and more, visit palipost.com/palipodcast.