About
Root to Stem is Rowen K. Stark
About Me
I am a community-based public health researcher and educator, specializing in trans health and youth mental health. I am a queer and trans white settler of mixed Western/Central European ancestry, and was raised among the mountains and prairies of Treaty 7 land (currently known as Southern Alberta). I am now based in Toronto/Tkaronto.
Why Root to Stem
The name Root to Stem is emblematic of my approach to education and community work, as I believe that meaningful change and change work must start deep and grow outward. I believe that surface-level adjustments to behaviour without internal transformation will not bear nourishing fruit. I strive for radical work in the original meaning of the word - from the root. I believe that we must dismantle oppressive systems and structures from the root, and I further believe that we must practice new ways of justice and healing from the root, beginning with our internal narratives, our relationships to others, and our daily lives and work. Our growth - through stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits - will only be as strong as our grounding.
I am passionate about working within STEM fields and related professions, particularly medicine and allied health professions. My work challenges the binary divides of humanities and sciences, mind and body, and lived expertise and empirical knowledge.
Experience
I have facilitated workshops and trainings in a wide range of schools and health and social service organizations, including at the University of Toronto, Toronto Metropolitan University, and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). I am experienced facilitating with both small groups and large organizations, and have facilitated extensively with both youth (age 14+) and adults. I have conducted research in both academic and community settings, including with Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario (YWHO), the University of Calgary, and CAMH.
Photo by Lindsey Thurston.
Root to Stem Values
Transformation
Working toward liberation and social justice requires radical transformation at all levels. My work engages with the individual, relationship, community, and system as sites of transformation. I also work from an understanding of growth and transformation as non-linear and iterative processes - they are directions, not destinations.
Imagination
I am a dreamer and a problem-solver. I am always eager to imagine more effective and equitable ways of working, whether I am designing more efficient data collection methods or implementing trauma-informed practices. I am committed to generating solutions that are practical, achievable, and aligned with (y)our ethics and goals.
Connection
We are all shaped by by the growth and rupture of our relationships - with each other, with ourselves, and with the human and more-than-human world around us. My work seeks to foster connections that support our resilience, healing, and joy through practicing curiosity, compassion, reflection, and accountability.