Rita Carmona

Rita received her bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Kenyon College and her 200 hour yoga teacher certification from Zen Yoga Garage in Chicago. Her passions in art and social justice led her to I Grow Chicago as an intern in the summer of 2018. Now, Rita Carmona serves as the Cultural Activism Manager for I Grow Chicago. Her role now is to foster creative expression on and off the Peace Campus as a way to challenge individuals and connect communities. As Cultural Activism Manager, she oversees our public education programming, engages volunteers, and advocates for resources, opportunities, and justice in the Englewood community and Chicago as a whole. She brings with her a deep understanding of community-level and system barriers, commitment to anti-racism practices, and a passion for complex and authentic storytelling. Rita sees her work with I Grow Chicago as an opportunity for creation and solidarity within all communities, starting inside: “It’s vital to believe in self-love and to practice it when the world around you is telling you to feel the opposite.”