Archives for October 2016

Teva Sienicki is passionate about building equity and closing the achievement gap for low-income kids. Throughout 14 years of leadership, she has transformed Growing Home—which began as a small shelter serving 30 families—into a comprehensive anti-poverty organization serving over 4,600 families annually.

A recent speaker at our It’s About Time event, Teva’s approach emphasizes innovation, analysis, and teamwork in an effort to change how we think about poverty and provide a better template to address these issues. Here we talk about enjoying the outdoors and a full bounty of tomatoes.

What do you think about the recent surge in development here in Colorado—specifically in the Denver metro area?

On one hand: it’s exciting that we’re growing: the growth of craft beer, the restaurants, even the light rail expansion is great. On the other hand, the growth is accelerating an already severe shortage of housing that is affordable.. A lot of neighborhoods are becoming gentrified and families and individuals are are being displaced.

You’re an incredibly active and selfless member of the community. Who or what inspires you?

I source inspiration from a lot of places including the parent leaders in the community in which I work, my team and our volunteers. On a national scale I follow several podcasts and read a lot. I also get excited by the work of Angela Glover Blackwell, CEO of PolicyLink, and her team. I just recently returned from a trip to Sweden and Denmark as a part of my Livingston Fellowship and learned a lot. My partner is also a great inspiration as we both have dedicated our careers to creating a more just and equitable world, but in different arenas, so we love to talk about ideas and challenge each-others’ thinking.

Is there anything new that you are hoping to introduce to Denver?

I just returned a few weeks ago from my fellowship trip  to Sweden and Denmark, and I’ve already shared some ideas with my board members and partners. I like to think of both practice and policy. On the practice end, we are planning for some cool projects for more opportunities for  recreation and physical fitness in communities that don’t typically have access. Also, I got a lot of ideas for systems and policy change, and I’m eager to see what we might be able to work for here.

You’re a gardener. What have you been most successful at growing?

This year: Cinderella pumpkins and heirloom tomatoes.

Where do you and your family find yourselves when it’s the weekend?

Recently—and currently—unpacking, but if we’re not doing some big project like moving to a new home, we spend time outdoors going rock climbing, hiking, skiing, camping, or gardening. General Colorado stuff.

Do you have a favorite TED talk?

I’ve watched so many. I am a junkie. I really enjoyed hearing Dan Pallotta speaking about The Way We Think About Charity is Dead Wrong. I think people should definitely watch that.

What do you believe It’s About Time for in your life?

It’s about time to stop living out of boxes!

Erica Stone is a doctoral student in the Technical Communication and Rhetoric program at Texas Tech University. Her research centers on the flow of information, social media’s role in identity development, and the intellectuals’ role in history and popular culture.

A speaker at our It’s About Time event, Erica is a technical communicator who envisions a world where the ivory towers of academia open their walls to the public. Here we talk about Walt Whitman, photography, and the science of altruism.

You have a Walt Whitman quote on your site: “That you are here—that life exists, and identity; That the powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse.” What’s your analysis of this? How does this apply to your life?

I guess that’s a pretty existential quote for a website landing page! As a writer, researcher, and teacher, I try to remember that life is temporary, and we only have a short amount of time to make an impact on the world—to contribute our verse. When I teach, I encourage my students to consider what they will do to make a difference in the world. So often undergraduates are focused on earning a particular degree in order to obtain a certain job or lifestyle. I try to inspire them to slow down, to engage with their communities, and to write a verse that will make a meaningful impact. (Also, it’s a quote from my favorite scene in Dead Poets Society!)

What do you do when you’re not researching or teaching?

I like to spend my spare time hiking, camping, and biking. I also love to visit art galleries and museums, take photos of architecture and landscapes, and explore new cities and cultures.

I also spend a lot of time in coffee shops! I love a good cup of coffee, and nothing makes me happier than working in a public place where I can listen to 12 different conversations at once (I have teacher ears!).  Independent coffee shops like Rooster and Moon and Little Owl Coffee here in Denver are great places to rhetorically listen–to really hear what people are thinking, what their concerns are, and ‘take the temperature’ of the community.

What do you love about Colorado?

I have moved around a lot, and I have connections to many different states. In fact, in the last eight years, I have lived in five states—Alabama, Wyoming, Georgia, Colorado, and Missouri. Colorado is where I have felt the most at home. To me, home is more of an idea than a place; it’s constructed by the activities you fill your time with and the people you invest in. Those two things really came together for me during my two years in Denver. But, the last two years aren’t my only connection with Colorado.

Growing up, my family and immediate neighbors visited Colorado every spring break to ski. We would rent a large cabin that could accommodate 18 people for a week. It was on these trips that I fell in love with Colorado. Despite growing up in Alabama, my parents and grandparents have always called me their “mountain girl.”

What was the last book you read?

I usually read about 20 articles a week, but the last book I read was Community Action and Organizational Change: Image, Narrative, Identity by Brenton D. Faber. Dr. Faber investigates how a technical communication scholar can invest in the narratives of organizations to encourage agency and social change. I became interested in this book because I have a heart for alternative scholarship that bridges the gaps between universities and the communities in which they reside. I am also using this as a textbook in a discourse class that focuses on community engagement.

Do you have a favorite TED talk?

Because I have a servant’s heart and often find myself giving away more energy that I can reasonably offer, I found Abigail Marsh’s Why Some People are More Altruistic than Others talk about the science behind altruism to be fascinating.

What do you believe It’s About Time for in your life?

This is sort of a quirky answer to this question, but it’s about time for me to start paying attention to the type of music I consume. I’ve become so dependent on Pandora and Spotify to curate my music for me. Remember the days when we made carefully selected mix tapes of just the right songs for a road trip? It’s time to get back to that!