COG Statement of Qualifications

Carolina Osorio Gil, MA

MS/PhD Student (on leave), Department of Development Sociology, Cornell University

Community Development Specialist

Theater Artist, Chef, Advocate

carolina@cornell.edu

+1-607-227-2334

 

STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS: LATINX COMMUNITY ORGANIZING IN NY STATE

 

I am excited to offer a statement of qualifications that I believe offers services that will contribute to interdisciplinary, innovative work that does honor to Latinidad and to Latina women in the region who have contributed innumerably in all sectors of industry, human services, arts, athletics, and beyond. As you are aware, NY State is a rich ground for Latinx/Latina/o community organizing and I have had the delight of attending events such as the Upstate NY Latino Summit in Rochester that have familiarized me with the Latinx landscape specific to that region. Additionally, I have lived and worked in Ithaca, NY, for 20 years, where I have been a prominent community organizer and where I founded and directed the CULTURA Ithaca program as well all of its associated Latinx Heritage Month (LHM) programming including an annual Latinx Art Exhibition and an annual film festival Cine con CULTURA. I am proud to add that all three of these programs are thriving under new leadership in the heterogeneous cultural landscape that is Ithaca, NY, despite my having to leave community organizing in order to attend graduate school, from which I am currently on a one-year leave. 

 

In this document, my goal is to delineate some of the specific contributions I am able to make, the qualifications I possess, as well as to pose several key questions regarding community organizing in NY State, which I hope will be questions that can help guide our conversation moving forward. At this point, I would also like to add that I am fully bilingual (native Spanish speaker) so if for whatever reason you need this proposal in Spanish, please let me know and I can provide that translation quickly. If you or your organization is interested in collaborating, I am happy to discuss any and all of this document with you and am fairly flexible on my terms and the details of this document.

 

Potential Contributions & Relevant Qualifications

 

Languages: Spanish (Native Speaker, Reader, Writer, all at Post-College Level), English (Native Speaker, Reader, Writer, all at Post-College Level), Haudenosaunee (beginner)

 

BA, Cognitive Psychology, Cornell University  

Specializing in linguistics, language onset, early childhood development, human development

 

MA, Early Childhood Education Teaching & Curriculum, Columbia University Teachers College

Specializing in gifted education, integrative learning, interdisciplinary and multi-modal education, critical pedagogy, community-based learning, family education, infant education

 

MS/PhD Student, Development Sociology, Cornell University

Specializing in narrative analysis, story-based learning, community organizing, knowledge & power, institutional-community relations, community development, creative placemaking, indigenous knowledge systems, radical arts methodologies, feminist scholarship and praxis

 

Theater Artist (Actor, Director, Producer, Designer)

Trained in the Meisner Acting Technique (completed six-semester training at the Actors Workshop of Ithaca). Specializing in Boalian Theater of the Oppressed, improvisational acting and theater games, inter-generational theater production, story-based theater, theater education, radical theater research methods. 30+ years of experience acting and directing, including over 100 productions on an international scale (Mexico, India, Colombia, Canada, USA).

 

Interdisciplinary Installation Artist & Arts Organizer

Specializing in interdisciplinary transnational story-based arts collaborations with strong digital components. Significant projects include Root Map (Kolkata-Mohawk Nation-El Paso-Mexico-USA) and Aguakinesis (Colombia-Seneca Nation-Mexico-USA). As the Director of CULTURA Ithaca, organized and fundraised for the first two Latinx public murals in Ithaca and assisted in organizing a dozen other public arts projects. Organized arts exhibitions and identified qualified curators for 3 exhibitions at the Community School of Music and Arts (Executive Director: Robin Tropper-Herbel).

 

Latina Community Advocate & Politician

Founded and Directed the CULTURA Ithaca Program for 15 years, and held office hours within the Tompkins County Workers Center community space, where I provided individual advocacy for dozens of Latinx community members on issues such as immigration, housing, healthcare, transportation, wellness, and professional development and empowerment. Ran a campaign for Tompkins County Legislature District 3 with a platform of diversity, cultural awareness, economic and ecological justice.

 

Community Engagement Consultant, Cornell University

Provided expertise and guidance on several Cornell community-engagement projects through the Office of Engagement Initiatives (Director: Basil Safi). Provided support, documentation, systems oversight, and assessment on projects on topics such as Latinidad, Latina/o Studies, Migration in the Americas, and Community Food Systems. Presented as a guest speaker to faculty, teachers, and engagement specialists on community partnerships and meaningful community engagement work.

 

Festival Organizer

Founded and organized a number of annual Latinx festivals and community celebrations in Ithaca such as Cinco de Mayo, Día de los Muertos, Cine con CULTURA Film Festival, and the Latino Multicultural Festival. Additionally, was on the Board of the Ithaca Festival and have been a long-time volunteer at the Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance where I am the co-director of the Happiness Parade. Assisted with organizing numerous other festivals including Apple Harvest Festival and the First Peoples’ Festival.

 

Chef & Food Arts Presenter and Food Entrepreneur

Have presented and guest cheffed for organizations such as the Ithaca Youth Farm Project and Ganondagan Cultural Center (Victor NY), specializing in Colombian cuisine and Corn. Co-founded Bicicocina Bicycle Food Cart and catering service, consultant for Van Noble Farm pig farm and events catering, and helped organize the Ithaca Food Entrepreneurs Program at the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County. 

 

Diversity Consultant, Independent

Have sat on boards and consulted on the topic of Diversity & Inclusion for the Latino Civic Association of Tompkins County, the Ithaca Festival, the Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County, the Social Entrepreneurship Institute of Tompkins County, and the Permaculture Institute of Tompkins County, among countless other organizations in the Fingerlakes Region.

 

Proposed Guiding Questions:

 

I would propose setting a common vocabulary for the following terms:

 

Authenticity

Voice

Interactivity

Engagement/Engaging

 

The above are terms that ostensibly represent shared values, but may present challenges if we do not purposely and thoroughly ensure that we share a common understanding of these terms.

 

Budget/Time Allocation

 

Project- and budget-specific. Please contact me for a quote.

 

Select References

Upon request.

 

I really appreciate your kind attention to this document. Due to my extensive related experience, what I am presenting here is a curated selection of the qualifications and professional experiences I possess that seem the most relevant to Latinx Community Organizing in NY State. If there are any uncertainties or questions, or anything in this letter is unclear, I invite you to contact me at your earliest convenience to discuss potential collaborations further. I look forward to hearing from you.

 

In good health,


Carolina Osorio Gil

Ithaca NY

October 3, 2019