Read more from the article “Arriva: a Place for Self and Community Growth”
She dreams to create a non-profit back home, in Chile, but for now Pia Carrasco is busy being a substitute teacher, German language teacher, interpreter, and Vice Chair of Arivva.
Carrasco got involved with Arivva, a community-focused non-profit on Garfield St, around four years ago. She started as a volunteer for Arivva’s ceramics program, taught dual-immersion classes, and just couldn’t stop coming back: “I was sad — pottery, I was happy — pottery.” Arivva’s mission “To transform Pierce County by connecting high school students and unemployed and underemployed adults to the opportunities…” coincided perfectly with Carrasco’s passion to “give students different opportunities,” whether it’s making art or growing a garden. Since then, Carrasco refers to Arivva as “not a place, it’s a feeling.”
The time Carrasco spent at Arivva over the years has led to the wide range of tasks she now manages. Carrasco spends two days a week at Arivva, fulfilling her diverse responsibilities. She works with funds development, relationships with projects like Blue Zones, events, social media and web-pages, and helps with Medical Assistant (MA) Job Training Program and Introduction to Healthcare Apprenticeship Program (IHAP) programs. “I just know a little bit of everything,” concluded Carrasco.
With construction coming up next year, there has been even more work to do at Arivva. The team is trying “to continue [offering classes] as far as we can.” Carrasco shared that they plan to have visual arts classes for homeschooled students, family classes, and a winter cup before the end of this year. They are also looking for more students to join their free MA training cohort.
Carrasco shared that Arivva welcomes everyone – to attend their arts classes, join job training programs, or volunteer. “Access to education and art can be hard in some places. I didn’t have anywhere to go after classes. I find Arivva to be the place I wanted to have growing up,” shared Carrasco.
