On September 24th, a documentary entitled Waiting for Superman hits theatres. It explores our broken public education system in the U.S. and highlights some of the people, like Geoffrey Canada of the Harlem Children’s Zone, who have dedicated their lives to making a difference in education. Because education, and specifically public education, is the cause I’m most passionate about, I wanted to use today’s post to encourage people to mark their calendars, see the movie, and get involved.
If we don’t fix public education in the U.S., all of the social programs in the world won’t make a bit of difference in the quality of life here. The generation now coming through public elementary school, for the first time in our country’s history, is poised to be less literate than the previous generation. We’re going backwards at a time that we need to be leaping ahead. The consequences of failing our children are dire, and honestly, I’m not sure that they’re reversible. It’s an enormous problem that’s going to take every bit of brain power, creativity, and sweat equity that we can muster to find solutions.
And I’m not talking about solutions for those who can afford it or are lucky enough to win a school attendance lottery. The ones I most worry about are the ones who can’t afford it, who don’t win the lottery – what’s their way out and up of their current socio-economic level? Is there a way out at all? Do their dream just die on the vine, and our nation’s future right along with it?
A while back, Tom Friedman wrote in an editorial that we need to go to the bad neighborhoods before the bad neighborhoods come to us. The same is true of students and schools – if we don’t get to the ones that desperately need us, they will find us in all sorts of unfortunate ways. And it’s not their fault. It’s ours. It’s not a matter of if, but a matter of when, unless we all get involved. See the movie, check out its website (with loads of suggestions and resources for anyone of any means to help rebuild the public education system), and let’s see what we can do together.
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
On September 24th, a documentary entitled Waiting for Superman hits theatres. It explores our broken public education system in the U.S. and highlights some of the people, like Geoffrey Canada of the Harlem Children’s Zone, who have dedicated their lives to making a difference in education. Because education, and specifically public education, is the cause I’m most passionate about, I wanted to use today’s post to encourage people to mark their calendars, see the movie, and get involved. 
