A Community Movement.
A Public Space Reclaimed
What happens when a community refuses to accept the conditions it has been given?EC Rise began with one person documenting the deteriorating condition of a public recreation center and asking the community to do something about it. What followed was a grassroots movement that mobilized hundreds of residents around a shared demand: our children and our community deserve better.
This is the story of what happens when people decide to act.
the problem
A Community Deserved Better
In 2018, a visit to the Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center in East Cleveland revealed a troubling reality.The gymnasium, a public space intended to serve children and families, was in deplorable condition. The floors and equipment reflected years of neglect. A place that should have supported recreation, connection, and community life had become a visible reminder of what happens when public spaces are allowed to deteriorate.This wasn't simply about a gym floor. It was about the conditions children were being asked to accept, the quality of public resources available to residents, and the responsibility to create environments where communities can thrive.
the call to action
One Observation Became a Call to Action
Rather than accept what she saw, Christin Farmer documented the condition of the facility, shared the images publicly, and called on residents to get involved.There was no formal campaign, institutional authorization, or elaborate organizing infrastructure behind the initial call. There was an observation, a public question, and an invitation to act.People responded.What began as an individual's decision to speak up quickly became a collective effort to bring attention to the condition of a public asset and demand something better for East Cleveland.
the movement
The Community Answered
EC Rise became the banner under which residents organized around a shared vision for the recreation center.On Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2019, more than 200 residents came together to participate in the restoration effort. Volunteers helped remove the deteriorating gym flooring and contributed their time and labor toward reclaiming the space.Residents, community members, and local leadership became part of a collective effort that demonstrated what can happen when people move beyond frustration and into action.EC Rise was no longer just a call for change. It was a community in motion.
kids
deserve
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the outcome
From Neglect to Renewal
The work did not happen overnight. The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the community's momentum, and the city ultimately completed the renovation.Today, the gymnasium has been transformed. It reopened in June 2025.The deteriorated flooring has been replaced, the space has been restored, and the facility looks beautiful.The outcome is visible. But the story is bigger than the renovation itself.EC Rise demonstrated the power of public documentation, community mobilization, collective labor, and sustained advocacy to bring attention to neglected public infrastructure and help move a community toward a better outcome.
communities
deserve
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THE BIGGER IDEA
What Becomes Possible When People Act Together?
What Becomes Possible When People Act Together?EC Rise offers a lesson that extends far beyond one recreation center.Communities are not simply places where problems happen. They are places where people possess the knowledge, relationships, resources, and capacity to create change.But that capacity must have somewhere to go.EC Rise created a point of convergence: a visible condition, a shared concern, a public call, and an opportunity for people to contribute to something greater than themselves.It is a reminder that meaningful change does not always begin inside an institution. Sometimes it begins when someone sees what others have learned to tolerate and decides that it no longer has to be that way.
call to action
The Power to Change Conditions Is Within Reach.
EC Rise stands as an example of what can happen when observation becomes action and individual concern becomes collective responsibility.The question is not simply what needs to change.The question is what becomes possible when people recognize their capacity to change it.EC RISE. Because our communities deserve better.
THE POWER OF COMMUNITY
THIS RISE WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY YOU.
To every volunteer who showed up, rolled up their sleeves, gave their time, shared their talents, and believed that East Cleveland deserved better: THANK YOU.Special appreciation to Allyson, Kevin, Neyka, Tre, Wyndi, Akbar, Kim, and the many others who helped bring the vision of EC Rise to life.Your contributions were part of something bigger than a renovation. You helped demonstrate what is possible when people come together around a shared vision and take action to change the conditions in their community.Thank you to our donors!Thank you all for rising with us.With gratitude,EC RISE
AN INTERVENTION DESIGNED BY CHRISTIN FARMER
SEEING WHAT COULD BE. DESIGNING WHAT COULD CHANGE.
EC Rise reflects a central conviction behind Christin Farmer's work as an Interventions Designer: the conditions we experience are not beyond our ability to change.Through observation, inquiry, community engagement, and intervention design, Christin initiated a process that transformed an individual's concern into an opportunity for collective action.EC Rise is one expression of her approach to designing for change: recognize the condition, question what has been accepted, identify the capacity for change, and create an opportunity for people to act.Designed by Christin. Powered by community.Explore more of Christin's work: