“The one who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” ~ Confucius
I went to a second training session with Citizen Schools that focuses on building out our final project ideas along with constructing an idea for the apprenticeship fair where the students will visit each possible apprenticeship and note their top choices for the semester. So now I’ve got the hook and the big prize, I just need to build all of the smaller steps that get us through the 10 week program.
If I think about this project too much, it can seem a little bit daunting. There are a lot of small moving parts to consider, specific content that must be communicated, and the communication methods need to keep an active 12 year old mind engaged. Thank goodness for all of the support offered by Citizen Schools. Out of the gate, it would have been tough to do this as my own independent side project. With the staff and resources from Citizen Schools, that mountain of an apprenticeship still looms large, but now appears to be scalable.
With big projects, I like to take the work involved and chop it up into bite-size pieces. Simplicity is the key: I just need to figure out all of the content I want to convey, and Citizen Schools can help me develop a fun method to the madness. I’ve got a blank slate to my right and a lot of material to teach on my left. With each activity and each lesson, I imagine myself picking up one small stone from the pile and moving it from left to right. Small goals and small victories can and will really add up to something beautiful.
The image above is not my own. It can be found here.
Published by Christa Avampato
IN BRIEF
Author, journalist, digital product manager, and licensed New York City tour guide. Creator and host of NYC's Secrets and Lies. Alumna of the University of Pennsylvania (BA), the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA), Arizona State University (Biomimicry), and the University of Cambridge (MSt in Sustainability Leadership).
I build digital media platforms, report on urban climate resilience and biodiversity, and produce live narrative experiences that connect communities to history, nature, and place.
THE DEEP DIVE
My work centers on a single thread: building systems and stories that foster deep connection to our shared world. Across digital streaming, environmental reporting, and live civic storytelling, I design experiences that help people understand complex ideas and the environments around them.
DIGITAL PRODUCT STRATEGY & MEDIA LEADERSHIP
At Carnegie Hall, I serve as Digital Product Manager, leading product strategy, operations, and technical delivery for the video streaming platform Carnegie Hall+. I translate artistic mission into scalable, high-performance streaming architecture that reaches audiences globally. Previously, I led agile product and delivery teams across operations and compliance at American Express, managed Broadway theatrical productions and national tours, and guided strategic initiatives across cultural institutions.
ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM & AUTHORSHIP
As a freelance journalist, I investigate how living systems, urban infrastructure, and human culture intersect. My reported features on urban decarbonization, biodiversity, coastal resilience, and biomimicry appear in publications including Smithsonian Magazine, The Washington Post, Mongabay, Natural History Magazine, and Foreign Policy Magazine. In fiction, I write the Emerson Page young adult novel series, alongside upcoming historical fiction and nonfiction works on New York history, mythology, and human resilience. I also write Togetherhood, a LinkedIn newsletter focused on urban ecology and community restoration, and co-host the podcast Frameworks in the Wild.
LIVE EXPERIENCE & CIVIC STORYTELLING
As a licensed New York City tour guide and live event producer, I transform urban landscapes into shared narrative encounters. I created, produce, and host NYC's Secrets and Lies, an interactive live storytelling series staged across cultural landmarks including the New York Transit Museum, the South Street Seaport Museum, and the historic tall ship Wavertree. I also design and lead site-specific walking tours exploring coastal ecology, food history, and neighborhood evolution, often with partners at Climate Week NYC and the Natural Areas Conservancy.
DOUBLE OR NOTHING MEDIA
Through my independent production studio, Double or Nothing Media, I develop ventures across media, ecology, and public history:
Digital Products & Strategy: Architecting scalable digital platforms, streaming experiences, and operational models for mission-driven institutions.
Environmental Reporting & Publications: Delivering long-form reporting, books, and newsletters grounded in climate resilience and regenerative design.
Site-Specific Live Storytelling: Producing immersive live shows and educational walking tours that engage public audiences in community history.
CONNECT
Website & Production Hub: doubleornothingmedia.com and christaavampato.com
Newsletter: Togetherhood on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/newsletters/togetherhood-7273771832221089792/
Instagram & Threads: @christarosenyc
Emerson Page Novels: emersonpagebook.wordpress.com/
View all posts by Christa Avampato
“The one who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” ~ Confucius
I tend to get overwhelmed if I look at the whole picture too long, I need to break things down into increments I can tackle a little bit along the way. It’s nice to have a big goal to shoot for but as you stated it’s the small step along the way where we need to keep our focus.
Aine
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Hi Aine,
Those small steps mean so much – there’s a whole lotta learning that happens along that path.
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