Vania Galicia-Bacilio

Vania Galicia-Bacilio (she/they) is a 27 year old urban farmer, educator, youth facilitator, and community organizer. Throughout her life she has focused on advocating for immigrants’ rights and local food sovereignty. She first began organizing and developing her mentoring skills when she was 16 years old through GROW Windham’s youth programming, which supported her to become more involved in the immigrants’ rights movement and further develop her leadership. After graduating from Eastern Connecticut State University with a Bachelor of Arts in English in 2020, she transitioned into the position of Community Farmer at Grow Windham. As the Community Farmer, Vania facilitated and mentored youth and community members, teaching them how to grow their own food and community, and how to advocate and further develop a more just food system. In 2023, she transitioned into a co-directorship position within the organization as Director of Programs, and they now oversee the development and implementation of the organization’s programming.