At the beginning of March 2022, we onboarded two content strategy fellows: Arielle McInnis-Simoncelli and Anthony Procik. We’re excited to introduce them to you.
Arielle will lead the content strategy and writing of our Equitable Community Engagement Toolkit (ECET) guidance. Anthony will lead the content strategy and writing of our ECET training. We hired them with a grant from the Operational Transformation Fund. For more details about the fellowship and project, read the linked blog.
We asked Arielle a few questions so you could get to know her better.
Have a read!
Tell us your story.
ARIELLE: When I was a student at Bryn Mawr College, I was sure I would go into medicine. That changed when I received a grant to intern at a hospital in Camden, New Jersey the summer before my senior year. It was during this summer where I realized I wasn’t interested in treating symptoms in routine exams, but I was interested in addressing the root causes of those health outcomes. To do this, I went upstream to meet people where they were; I wanted to design policies, services, and programs that were human-centered and equity-driven.
What values underpin your work and why?
ARIELLE: Inclusion: But not in the jargonized shallow sense of the word. I think of inclusion that ensures there’s an invitation to those historically excluded from decision-making. Also, inclusion that co-creates a safe and supportive space, fueled by the voices of everyone involved.
Protecting health: Society is getting closer to a place where the diverse drivers of health are understood to be the things we used to overlook (e.g., our policies and where you live and work). Since health is largely driven by systems that we’ve designed, health can also be driven by the systems we have yet to re/create. Holding this truth helps me aim to protect the health of those I collaborate with.
Why are you interested in contributing to the Equitable Community Engagement Toolkit project?
ARIELLE: A friend sent me the Toolkit job description and I responded with, “Woah.” When I read more about the Toolkit project, it felt like someone had summed up my work, the reasons why my work is important, and sent the writing back to me.
My excitement about the Toolkit project solidified when I met the team during the interview process. It felt like reconnecting with old friends. I’m drawn to this project because it feels like the right continuation of my journey to make sure folks who are affected by a decision are brought to the table in ways that feels right to them. And to have the opportunity to help the City of Philadelphia do that in more equitable ways is inspiring.
What’s your most favorite thing to do in your down time and why?
ARIELLE: One of my favorite things to do in my down time is embrace the art of doing nothing. I’m privileged to do work that I love and am passionate about. This can sometimes mean that I find it hard to step away — blurring the boundary between work and the rest of life. This has been my experience over the last two years of the Covid-19 pandemic; I felt like I was living at work rather than working at home. Now I’m more mindful of prioritizing time for rest. This might include playing with my dog, Massimo, or reading the fifty website tabs I leave open during the week.
Have a question about this post? Feel free to email service.design@phila.gov or interact with us on Twitter @DesignStudioPHL.
