Enviornmental Justice Town Hall Experience Posted on November 25, 2019 by wpengine Project Coordinator, Odera Igwe, attended the Environmental Justice Town Hall meeting in Philly and below are the main takeaways from her experience On November 2nd, 2019 I attended the APHA Environmental Justice Town Hall in Philadelphia PA. This town hall was an opportunity for Environmental Justice leaders all around the country to come together and discuss the Environmental Justice (EJ) issues they have encountered in their communities. The main objective of this town hall was to improve the understanding of…Read More
RVP Reflection Series: Shequaya’s POV Posted on November 4, 2019 by wpengine The Grounded team attended the Reclaiming Vacant Properties (RVP) Conference in Atlanta at the beginning of October. During their time at the conference, the team learned valuable information that they would like to share! The following video is Shequaya sharing her experience at the conference.Read More
RVP Reflection Series: Ashley’s Experience Posted on October 28, 2019 by wpengine Author: Ashley Seiler Upon entering the RVP convention I was blown away by the number of people that were in attendance. After mingling and a quick look at the art exhibit displayed, I headed to one of the many sessions. The session that resonated with me the most was Community-Driven Visioning to Reclaim Vacant Properties in Fort Wayne and Philadelphia. The two presenters that stood out most to me during this session were Rena Bradley and Alexa Boss. I enjoyed…Read More
RVP Reflection Series: Odera’s Takeaways Posted on October 22, 2019 by wpengine Author: Odera Igwe The Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference (RVP) was a national conference dedicated to creating community cohesion through new strategies to transform vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties into community assets. This conference was a great opportunity for me to meet people all over the US who specialize in different aspects regarding the revitalization of vacant land; law, youth engagement, community advocacy, architecture, and more. The first session I attended was Community-Driven Visioning: A design thinking approach, and was probably…Read More
RVP Reflection Series: Ariam’s Vlog Posted on October 16, 2019 by wpengine The Grounded team attended the Reclaiming Vacant Properties (RVP) Conference in Atlanta at the beginning of the month. During their time at the conference, the team learned valuable information that they would like to share! Check out the vlog below for Ariam's perspective!Read More
Brittany’s Goodbye Posted on August 20, 2019 by wpengine As my time at Grounded comes to an end I have found myself reflecting on my experience here. In May when I joined the Grounded team I was excited about the opportunity to be an intern, but I was also unsure- specifically of my abilities and knowledge in marketing. I know, it sounds crazy. I have spent the last four years studying and obtaining a degree in marketing, but I was not confident in my knowledge of the subject. As…Read More
Grounded in The Art Trap Posted on August 16, 2019 by wpengine The Art Trap: Trap + Paint is a monthly event curated by our Project Associate Kuwame Kinsel. In July, with support from Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, he presented it to over 120 patrons at the seasonal Cultural Trust Gallery Crawl. The goal of Art Trap to bring individuals from various social, economic, and cultural backgrounds together to create a safe space powered by art, culture, and entertainment. While out in the field, Kuwame noticed a trend of communities lacking self-care or…Read More
Kathy’s Farewell Posted on July 26, 2019 by wpengine In my ten weeks at Grounded Strategies, I have learned several important things and gone through many valuable experiences. Even my perception of what a job entails has changed. Interning at a non-profit has shown me how passionate a group of people can be in the office. This not only influenced the office atmosphere but also increased my motivation. My time at Grounded has made me a lot less afraid of what’s to come after college and incredibly excited to…Read More
The Connection Between Art and the Environment Posted on July 8, 2019 by wpengine When thinking about art and environmental issues such as climate change, the two subjects don’t seem to have much overlap. A deeper dive into art and its capabilities, however, prove that idea false and quite the opposite. With work like that of Agnes Denes, John Sabraw, David Maisel, and countless other artists, there are clear connections between art and the environmental concerns that we hold. These artists’ work forces the audience to confront the different ways in which humans have…Read More
Juneteeth: A Celebration of Freedom Posted on June 17, 2019 by wpengine On June 19th, 1865 Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston Texas to announce the freedom of slaves. This announcement took place two and a half years after slaves were legally freed. President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1st, 1863 but the news did not make it to Texas for over two years. The reason for this is unclear- some say the messenger was killed on his way to Texas, others say slave owners intentionally withheld the information…Read More
From the Board of Directors Posted on June 3, 2019 by wpengine Greetings Grounded Community, Happy June and thank you to all those who joined us for a spectacular Geared up and Grounded bike ride this last weekend. With this turn of season - I write to inform you that as of June 1st, 2019, Evaine K. Sing has departed her role at Grounded Strategies. It is always hard to say goodbye to a long-term, valued employee but we do so with a great appreciation of all her contributions as part of…Read More
A Vacant Lot… and so much more Posted on May 21, 2019 by wpengine At the corner of Estella Avenue and Climax Street in Beltzhoover, there sits a vacant lot. In 2011, a group called Creative Visions decided to take some action and proceeded to clear the lot, create a few garden beds and plant some flowers. Already a significant improvement, that is not where this story ends. Enter Ms. Natalie Thomas, a self-proclaimed “nebby neighbor,” who happens to live just across Estella with a great view of the lot. She wanted more. In…Read More