[00:00:00] Olivia: Hi there. I'm so happy you're here. Your time is precious, and because of that, I want to let you know right away what you'll gain by listening to the very last second of this episode. My conversation with Christa Núñez offered strategies for successful grant writing, building strong local partnerships, and how meaningful community impact comes from addressing systemic barriers with intention. 

[00:00:27] Olivia: If you have not listened to Christa's episode, please tune in, I will pop a link to it in the show notes. It is Season 4, Episode 11. In this bonus episode, I offer a reflective exploration of growth mindset, community building, and the transformative power of sharing meals; all inspired by my conversation with Christa.

[00:00:52] Olivia: Stay with me. I am so happy to have you as a listener today. This is Schoolutions: Coaching and Teaching Strategies, the podcast that extends education beyond the classroom. A show that offers educators and caregivers strategies to try right away and ensure every student receives the inspiration and support they need to thrive.

[00:01:16] Olivia: I am Olivia Wahl and this bonus episode is a reflection after my conversation with the incredible Christa Núñez. Her episode, Season 4, Episode 11, um, released on Monday and I've been thinking about our conversation all week. Her episode's called: Urban Agriculture Education: Building Equitable Food Systems Through Community Grants.

[00:01:41] Olivia: And I have the privilege of raising my family in the same community that Christa also lives in. So, we have benefits, uh, from just knowing her beautiful family and also, um, my children with their schools have ventured to, her different, endeavors, The Learning Farm, um, they've had field trips there and just benefited tremendously from knowing Christa and her family and, um, also Khuba International.

[00:02:16] Olivia: So with that said, Christa is a person, her drive reminds me so much of an article that I read, um, in September of 2010, almost 15 years ago, actually. And it's called Even Geniuses Work Hard. It's written by Carol S. Dweck. Some of the qualities I wanted to just pause and think about with you as a listener, um, there is a section in the article called, Why Foster a Growth Mindset?

[00:02:43] Olivia: This is a direct quote: “During the past several decades, my colleagues and I have conducted research identifying two distinct ways in which individuals view intelligence and learning. Individuals with a fixed mindset believe that their intelligence is simply an inborn trait. They have a certain amount, and that's that.

[00:03:04] Olivia: In contrast, individuals with a growth mindset believe that they can develop their intelligence over time.” So, then, it goes on in that section. To emphasize traits of fixed mindset, and then the opposite of growth mindset. As I have gotten to know Christa over the years being a community member with her, she embodies the qualities of a growth mindset.

[00:03:29] Olivia: And I think it's really important to ask yourself, you know, when things get hard, there are people that give up and there are people that dig in just that much deeper and that's Christa. But that's also the teachers I, I get to work with in schools. It's also the coaches, it's the principals, it's the leadership.

[00:03:55] Olivia: And most importantly, it's the kids! The kids that embody a growth mindset; one of the qualities is they view challenging work as an opportunity to learn and grow. Another quality of people with a growth mindset, they value effort. “They realize that even geniuses have to work hard to develop their abilities and make their contributions.”

[00:04:20] Olivia: And again, these qualities are coming verbatim right from this article. Another quality of folks with growth mindset is that “they're more likely to respond to initial obstacles by remaining involved, trying new strategies, and using all the resources at their disposal for learning.” So again, this is who Christa Núñez is, but it's also the people she surrounds herself with.

[00:04:49] Olivia: This mindset, it's growth, it's, you know, when we heard a no to this grant writing process, we try again, and we try again, and we refine our process. This in turn goes on to the next section in the piece called Creating a Culture of Risk-Taking. I've learned as a coach that unless we are trying new things and taking risks, building trust along the way, of course, we will never grow.

[00:05:16] Olivia: And so I think that's something else that's always in my mind. So I'll tuck a link to that article in the show notes because it just resonates with me so strongly. The other layer I continued to think about since my conversation with Christa is the idea of cultivating a positive professional culture.

[00:05:34] Olivia: Expeditionary learning or EL Education has a number of Core Practices. They're all captured in a free, yes, free resource that's magnificent. I will put a link to this in the show notes as well. And each of the core practices I revisit over and over and over again. But Cultivating a Positive Professional Culture is Core Practice number 34, if you're wondering.

[00:05:58] Olivia: And some of these core practices, again, are exactly what Christa. And Khuba International embody as an organization. So one of them is promoting trust. And again, this is quoting right from the core practice document, but it speaks to the idea of modeling fair and equitable behaviors towards staff that foster trust among all staff members.

[00:06:25] Olivia: That's a huge piece of what I know matters most to Christa, um, and all of the partnerships that she nurtures within our community. Again, growth mindset comes up with this core practice under Promoting Trust and the idea of shared ownership of success. It's so rare to have a conversation with Christa where she actually will accept a compliment.

[00:06:48] Olivia: She'll defer immediately and spread the goodness on everyone else that had a part in the process. And she'll also share in the challenges and change initiatives that need to happen. Another aspect of this Core Practice document is around Establishing a Growth-Oriented Professional Culture. So, what that means is “all members of the school community of, or the organization embrace continuous learning and constructive feedback as an investment in their own and the school's success.”

[00:07:00] Olivia: So I think often when Christa was sharing her process with grants, she and I met years ago and I know their organization, it was getting quite a few no's and we were again, digging deep to our community volunteer pockets of, you know, I care so deeply about this, I want to just help you.

[00:07:38] Olivia: I want to meet with you over coffee and just talk this through. And that's why this work also matters that idea of continuous learning, but also that we're championing that culture through celebrating values, finding people that have the shared values, maintaining systems and structures that support that positive culture, and also modeling and promoting traditions that, that the organization values and that shared community members value.

[00:08:14] Olivia: You heard Christa say, or I've thought about this a lot of how she has to be strategic in the partnerships she's developing. And I think it's the same thing for bigger organizations and school districts. How do we have outside community members and organizations support projects that we want to have happening in schools in really thoughtful ways?

[00:08:37] Olivia: Another aspect of this doc is a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. And I know that that is a huge layer of Christa's mission with Khuba International. Around “embracing diversity in all forms as an asset for learning, both in the classroom and the school community.” One of the last components of Cultivating a Positive Professional Culture is around Cultivating Emotional Intelligence.

[00:09:06] Olivia: And when I think of emotional intelligence, it's both emotional maturity, but it's also the fact that grownups “can demonstrate an accurate awareness of their strengths and limitations and a growth mindset in the pursuit of learning.” So it's that idea of there's going to have to be a lot of effort, but if we put the effort in and we have a shared vision, then we can achieve the goals together.

[00:09:37] Olivia: And so much of this work is action. It's what are we doing to move the needle forward or to move the process forward and inspire each other to keep going? So those two pieces between Even Geniuses Work Hard by Dweck as well as. The Core Practice number 34 from EL education: Cultivating a Positive Professional Culture.

[00:10:04] Olivia: Both of those documents have been bouncing around in my mind since the conversation with Christa. And then I also think of, how many of us in the United States are going to be gathering next week with our families, our friends to celebrate an upcoming holiday. And a huge piece, too, of what matters to Christa is gathering together around a table and the power of shared meals; food as a universal language.

[00:10:37] Olivia: And I'll never forget after a time that she came over to my house with her youngest daughter, who is now not so young, but she brought Channah over and we were looking at picture books that were spread all over my family room. And a bit later, she reached back out and said, she asked if my family and I would go to her house for a brunch.

[00:11:00] Olivia: And that is Christa's love language. You know, how can we all sit around the table and how can we see food as so much more than just what's on the plate? And so I also found two other pieces. One of them is an article that came out and it's absolutely wonderful. It's called The Unifying Power of Food, How Sharing a Meal Brings us Together.

[00:11:25] Olivia: And this came out in October of 2024. There is a portion in it called Food is a Universal Language and this quote, it just hit with me. So I wanted to read it and I hope it resonates with you. “At the end of the day, food is so much more than what's on the plate. It's a bridge that connects us to others, a way to break down barriers, and a source of joy that nourishes both the body and soul.

[00:11:56] Olivia: Whether you're sharing a meal at a restaurant, cooking with loved ones, or hosting a dinner party, food has an incredible ability to bring people together. So, the next time you sit down to eat, take a moment to appreciate the experience. Savor the flavors, yes, but also savor the connections being made across the table. Because, in a world that sometimes feels divided, food reminds us that we're all connected.”

[00:12:25] Olivia:  I was also reminded of a fantastic TEDx talk that I saw, um, it's called The Power of Sharing a Meal by Laura Flosi. And there's a section that she speaks directly to why food and sharing a meal is everything. And so I wanted to end with her words.

[00:12:49] Olivia: “The Power of Sharing a Meal, at its very core, food is a survival need. So, sharing food on a primal level is one of the most powerful acts of care imaginable. Sharing a meal is inclusive, since early times gathering, preparing, and sharing a meal together is the pillar of community building. Sharing a meal is not isolated to any one culture because humans are social animals.

[00:13:17] Olivia: Our instinct is to gather together and to find strength in numbers. Therefore, the act of sharing a meal is a common thread that extends through all of us. Sharing a meal consistently; And I use that word deliberately sharing a meal consistently deepens relationships and builds community. Conversations, have the space and time to go beneath the surface.

[00:13:45] Olivia: The common thread of food helps us to find other common threads between ourselves. And that consistency - There's that word again. That consistency of a shared meal means that you can work through life's ups and downs together. There's power in that. You feel seen, you feel heard, and you are stronger as a result.”

[00:14:13] Olivia: I hope you go back if you haven't and you listen to the episode with Christa Núñez. I will put a link to that in the show notes. I hope if you are gathering with loved ones or friends, anyone next week and sharing a meal together that these words just hit your heart. Christa's work in our community has such a beautiful ripple effect, and I hope you're inspired to think about how you can develop farm scholars wherever you are in the world.

[00:14:46] Olivia: Thanks for tuning in. Take care. Schoolutions: Coaching and Teaching Strategies is created, produced, and edited by me, Olivia Wahl. Thank you to my older son, Benjamin, who created the music that's playing in the background. You can follow and listen to Schoolutions wherever you get your podcasts, or subscribe to never miss an episode and watch on YouTube.

[00:15:12] Olivia: Now, I'd love to hear from you. Send me an email at schoolutionspodcast@gmail. com. Let me know how you nurture a growth mindset and community-building in your relationships. How will you harness the transformative power of sharing meals after listening to this episode? Tune in every Monday for the best research-backed coaching and teaching strategies you can apply right away to better the lives of the children in your care.

[00:15:39] Olivia: And stay tuned for my bonus episodes every Friday, where I'll share how I applied what I learned from the guests in schools that week. See you then.