Katie’s Work History

Children’s Program Coordinator, American Indian Community Housing Organization, January 2017-Present

The lower garden at AICHO.
One of AICHO’s 2 urban gardens that Katie oversaw.

Collaborates with co-workers and community members to assess needs, develop and implement high-quality, culturally-specific, healing-centered programming for children that addresses health disparities in the Native American community. Develops and maintains relationships with community organizations serving the needs of the families in AICHO’s permanent supportive housing program, Gimaajii-Mino-Bimaadizimin. Coordinates AICHO’s community garden and meals program and is a member of AICHO’s development team that is working to increase access to healthy Indigenous foods and economic opportunities for Indigenous food producers. Writes grants, evaluates programs, reports to funders, and oversees staff and volunteers for Children’s Programming. Developed and implemented AICHO’s distance learning support program which served 20 youth and their caregivers living at Gimaajii during the pandemic. Coordinates AICHO’s Giinawiind Giginitaawigi’gomin Together We Grow Program, which connects Native and BIPOC youth with AICHO’s network of Indigenous food producers, who share their knowledge on cultural food practices and entrepreneurship through field trips and workshops. Youth apply that knowledge as they tend gardens, develop their own products, and sell them at farmer’s market

Director of Youth Development Programs, Myers-Wilkins Community School Collaborative, May 2016-January 2017

Developed, organized, and implemented high quality after-school, summer and family programs for students at Myers-Wilkins Elementary and their families. Developed and maintained relationships with school staff, and parents in order to assess student needs and be responsive to any barriers students and families had to accessing academic support and enrichment opportunities. Maintained relationships and collaborated with community organizations like Duluth YMCA, YWCA’s Girl Power!, Men As Peacemakers, Girl Scouts, and St. Louis County Extension’s 4H program to offer a diversity of enrichment opportunities. Coordinated logistics of program including registration, training, transportation, supervision and evaluation of volunteers and staff.

Co-owner, White Cedar Studio, April 2014-May 2016

Managed a successful jewelry design studio. Maintained accurate and up-to-date bookkeeping records using Quick Books, developed financial plans and budget, and monitored progress throughout the year. Maintained systems of inventory and a photographic archival of all work. Developed a brand that expressed our values, followed our mission, and was effective at attracting our target market through word-of-mouth and relationship building, using the following tools: a mailing list, Facebook page, and Word Press website. Maintained positive and mutually beneficial relationships with wholesale accounts and retail clients. Designed retail displays and created a welcoming environment and unique experience for customers who visited the studio.

Graduate Teacher Licensure, Secondary Education, Social Studies, College of St. Scholastica, Spring 2012

Student taught at Superior Middle School, spring of 2012. Instructed 6th grade geography and U.S./Canadian History. Developed lesson plans around the Common Core Standards that fostered historical inquiry and critical thinking. Received staff training on “The Document-Based Questions (DBQ) Project” and implemented the curriculum, which promotes critical thinking by engaging students in the analysis of historical documents, into a unit. Integrated technology into instruction that enhanced student engagement and understanding. Developed assessments, often providing students with rubrics or checklists that measured student progress as well as provided opportunities for student learning. Participated in the development and implementation of behavioral plans. Successfully completed a Teacher Performance Assessment that included video taping and critiquing my classroom presentation of a unit to students.

Program Coordinator/Garden Educator, Duluth Community Garden Program, February 2008-September 2014

Coordinated the assignment and maintenance of 180 community garden plots at 16 different sites throughout Duluth. Collaborated with community gardeners, neighbors, community organizations, DCGP members and volunteers to provide access to resources that foster successful gardening. Led the Land Stewardship Committee in the development and implementation of community garden land stewardship policies and procedures. Partnered with Kid’s Cafe to teach kids about growing food and nutrition. Guided DCGP’s education committee to organize classes and taught over 25 classes on gardening and food preservation. Helped to develop and presented at DCGP’s “Spring School Garden Training” for teachers. Provided on-site garden mentoring services to support the development of AICHO’s rooftop garden, the Garden-in-a-Box program for low-income gardeners, and the newly-established Emerald Community Garden.

Cook, Chester Creek Cafe, Spring 2005-2008

Worked as a cook at a face-paced restaurant serving food from scratch and featuring ingredients from local farmers. Worked the line, cooking high-quality food to order, while maintaining food safety standards. Worked in the prep kitchen, managed inventory, placed and received orders from wholesale distributors and local growers.

Experiences on Farms:

  • Boreal Scapes Urban CSA (community supported agriculture), Summer of 2007. Francois Medion and I took care of gardens in the urban yards of 5 Duluth residents, providing a weekly box of vegetables for customers, grown in their own yards.
  • Summer of 2006 I operated a small CSA on land on a friend’s farm, providing 5 households with a weekly box of vegetables.
  • Rock Spring Farm, May-October 2004. Worked and lived on a 5 acre organic vegetable farm in Northern Iowa that sold vegetables wholesale to Co-ops in the Twin Cities as well as 150 CSA subscriptions.
  • Worked part time on an organic vegetable farm in Lake Elmo, MN that operated an 130 member CSA.

Produce Worker, Seward Co-op, October 2002-May 2004

Worked in the produce department at a co-op in Minneapolis specializing in locally-grown and organic produce. Created and maintained attractive and functional produce displays. Tracked and managed inventory, made and received orders from wholesale distributors and local farmers. Provided excellent customer service to shoppers.

Canoe Guide/Food Service Coordinator, Wilderness Canoe Base, May 2001-September 2002

Guided groups on trips in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Provided leadership on trail while teaching participants canoeing skills, wilderness safety standards and the leave-no-trace ethic. Oversaw the operation of the institutional kitchen at camp, which provided meals at peak capacity for up to 150 people. Created menus, ordered food and supplies, ensured food safety practices and supervised kitchen staff and volunteers.

St. Olaf College, 1997-2001

I studied Sociology and created a self-designed major, the body of work which was entitled “Learning A Sense of Place.” I wanted to know how our surroundings (both physical and socially constructed) shape us as individuals and how we could design surroundings that were the most conducive to health and well-being. I studied environmental design, how people learn, and how/what our modern society teaches us, or fails to teach us, about the natural systems we are dependent on to survive.