work

community projects

CAMPUS COALITION CONCERNING CHESTER, Chester Residents Concerned for Quality Living

+ co-leader

+Project Pericles Grant

+1-2 years

working with a group of students on campus, we helped to revitalize the Campus Coalition Concerning Chester (c-4) to address environmental injustice in Chester, PA— a majority black and low-income neighborhood with the largest incinerator in the country present. we were able to secure 25,000 Project Pericles Grant from Swarthmore College to develop Swarthmore’s capacities to organize and mobilize students from the start of their college career to improve, deepen, and maintain strong relationships with Chester community organizations advocating for social and environmental justice. 

kairos mutual mentorship program

+co-creator

+1.5 years 

working with another high school student, the two of us helped to create lesson plans, activities and a subsequent service project that was completely informed by the direction of the ten six-year old we worked with. tackling conversations ranging from race and power to family and community, the students identified the most pressing problem in their community-- love. 

oregon public broadcasting collaboration

+2 years 

+collaborating producer 

future of the american dream: 

Since the beginning of September, we’ve been talking with Oregonians about the American Dream — what it means to them, how their experiences inform their ideas and how they’re feeling about America in the midst of this most contentious of presidential election cycles. Today, we bring you an hour long conversation with some of the Oregonians who will shape the future of the American Dream: high school students. This show was recorded on Tuesday night in a new collaborative youth space in North Portland called the CENTER.

conversations project:

Students from Oregon City High School recently welcomed their peers from Catlin Gabel, Wilson and De La Salle North high schools in Portland, to discuss their perspectives on “What Makes America Great And Not Great For You?” 

project ECCO

+ founding member 

+1 year

Project ECCo was designed and created by students, for students, who are passionate about current social issues affecting our communities. We come from three high schools across Portland, with different perspectives and diverse backgrounds. Through youth leadership and collaboration, we worked in partnership with PLACE, The CENTER, and Catlin Gabel School to design a changemaker contest to empower youth who share the common goal of making a meaningful positive impact on the world around them.

speaking

STRONGER SHINES THE LIGHT INSIDE

+performer and community partner

+phenomenal photographer, Angie Smith reached out to the CENTER looking for immigrant and refugee youth in the Portland area for her residency with Wieden + Kennedy. After connecting her with these youth, a participant in her work and a friend of mine performed a poem comparing and contrasting the experiences of blacks and black, African immigrants.

IMAGINE THIS!

+presenter

+ imagine this held their annual creative symposium for educators where I led the workshop “amplifying youth voice:” which a space for educators to learn directly from myself, as a student activist, on ways that they can encourage youth agency with their own students.

MARYLHURST GRADUATE STUDENTS OF EDUCATION

+panel facilitator

+brining together a group of young advocates, I helped to facilitate a panel dialogue with graduating students of the former Marylhurst University on the importance of cultural competency in the classroom

PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY GRADUATE STUDENTS OF SOCIAL WORK

+presenter

+after publishing an article in the Oregonian, a student of their capstone project cohort approached me to deliver a presentation about the importance of youth voice and writing as a form of social change.

REGIONAL ARTS AND CULTURAL COUNCIL STAFF PRESENTATION

+presenter

+during my time as a member on one of RACC’s community artist in residency panels and Executive Director search committees, I was asked to give a presentation offering ways institutions can involve youth in their programming.

presenting

ART + PERFORMANCE

Portland Art Museum, In Dialogue Coordinator

Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, Intern and Exhibitionist

Time-Based Art Festival, Workshop Artist

Nat Turner Project; Intersect Fest, Intern and Curated Artist

Paragon Art Gallery, Workshop Presenter

ImagineThis Creative Symposium, Presenter

Intersect Fest, Guest Exhibitionist

Changing Destinies Luncheon, Emcee and Performer

University of Portland; PACE Program, Poetry Performance

Oregon Climate; Fall Social, Host and Poetry Performance

Portland Peace Festival, Poetry Performance

Stronger Shines the Light Inside, Wieden + Kennedy, Poetry Performance

SPEAKING + LISTENING

March for Our Lives Portland Protest, Speaker

De La Salle North Catholic; Changing Destinies Luncheon, Host and Speaker

Northwest Association of Independent Schools, Diversity Conference Keynote Speaker

Portland Community Peace Collaborative, Guest Speaker

Alberta Historical Art Marker Project, Interviewer

Mayor Charlie Hale’s Office, Presenter and Interview

COORDINATION + ORGANIZING

Housing Authority of Portland, Presenter

Regional Arts and Culture Council All-Staff, Presenter

Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center North, Presenter

Bureau of Planning and Sustainability All-Staff, Presenter

City of Portland City Council Meeting, Presenter

Marylhurst University, Master of Education, Presentation

Portland State University; Master of Social Work, Presentation

Regional Arts and Culture Council, All-Staff Presentation

Irvington Elementary School, Black History Remix Project, Presenter

Beaumont Middle School, Project AKT, Presenter

Catlin Gabel School, Workshop Presenter

Momentum Alliance, Workshop Presenter

Beverly Cleary School, All-Staff and 7th All-Grade Level Presentation

myPLACE Exchange, Presenter

US State Department Brazilian Youth Ambassador Program, Guest Facilitator

Community Policing Event, Organizer

Portland Public School North and Northeast Middle School Symposium on Race and Racism, Presenter and Organizer

Faubion Elementary School, Young Leaders in Action, Workshop Leader

Kairos PDX Academy, Young Leaders in Action, Workshop Leader

Youth + Elected Officials Town Hall, Presenter and Organizer

Oregon State Legislature Lobbying Day, Participant

Guest Producer, Oregon Public Broadcasting

Instrument, Collaborator

Open Signal, Collaborator

The Oregonian, Op-Ed Contributor

What Now?, Organizer

Swarthmore Voices, Contributing Writer

COMMITTEES + COUNCILS

Catlin Gabel School, Multicultural Programming and Support Staff Hiring Committee, Member

Regional Arts and Culture Council, Executive Director Selection Committee, Member

Regional Arts and Culture Council, Artist-in-Residence Selection Committee, Member

Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center, Community Advisory Committee, Member

Swarthmore College, Inclusive Sustainability Initiative Planning Committee, Member

Swarthmore College, Student Government Organization, Senator