OFFICE COORDINATOR

officeadmin@uustpete.org

In addition to being our Office Coordinator, Courtney Prokopas is a Florida-based civic organizer, founder of Gulfportlandia, and an Outreach Coordinator with the Florida Interfaith Coalition. Her work focuses on strengthening local democracy, resilience through community-building, and holding public institutions accountable. She also co-leads organizing efforts with the Gulfport Coastline Coalition, advancing hyperlocal coastal resiliency and stewardship around Boca Ciega Bay. 

Before arriving here in Florida, Courtney was based in Chicago working in documentary filming and the circus arts. She codirected Scrappers - set within Chicago's labyrinth of alleyways, Scrappers (2010) is a cinéma vérité portrait of Otis and Oscar, two scrap metal scavengers searching for a living with brains, brawn and battered pickup trucks. The film shows how globalization, the 2008 financial crisis, and both migration and immigration policy affect these men and their families. Winner Best Documentary 2010 Chicago Underground Film Festival, Top Documentaries of 2010 - Roger Ebert. Alongside her film work, Courtney performed, directed, and taught circus arts in more than a dozen countries, blending physical storytelling with community engagement across cultures. Her global experience informs her cross-cultural and intergenerational communication style and her ability to build unlikely coalitions across differences.

In the past year, she's focused on immigration enforcement in Florida, witnessing outside detention and transfer sites and organizing local efforts to disentangle municipalities from 287(g) agreements through the League of Women Voters, Florida Interfaith Coalition, and Tampa Bay Immigrant Solidarity Network. Her work blends policy literacy, lived observation, and strategic local action, grounded in the belief that strong communities are built through informed participation and public accountability.

CHILDREN'S SPIRITUAL EXPLORATION | MUSIC

cse@uustpete.org

My name is Patricia Harding, although I have collected many nicknames over the years. Most people call me Trish, while my younger students have usually known me as Miss Trish.

I was born in St. Petersburg, Florida, and raised mostly in this area. After high school, I traveled for a while before settling in Boulder, Colorado. I later graduated from the University of Colorado with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and a diploma in education. My college journey began while I was working at the university, where I received six credits as an employee benefit and used them to begin studying Spanish. During my junior year, I had the wonderful opportunity to spend a semester studying Spanish in Guadalajara, Mexico.

After graduating, I taught students of many different ages in a wide variety of educational settings. I even spent a semester teaching in Seoul, South Korea, which was an unforgettable and very different experience. Halfway through that academic year, I returned to Florida after my father suffered a heart attack. Having spent most of my adult life in Colorado, returning home marked a major transition.

I settled in Gulfport, but there were few opportunities available in English as a Second Language education at the time. I began working with adults with disabilities at PARC, where I developed an interest in behavior analysis and eventually earned a master’s degree in the field. Although it was an interesting career, I realized it was not the right long-term path for me.

I returned to education and earned certifications in elementary general education, K–12 English as a Second Language, and special education. During the final years of my full-time career, I taught in the Pinellas County school system. As soon as I was able, I “retired” into part-time work.

So, how did I find my way to UU St. Pete?

When I first returned to Florida, I was searching for a spiritual community and found the Center for Conscious Living in Largo. I was happy there until our beloved minister and church founder moved away, and the community no longer felt quite the same. I later attended First Unity, where I enjoyed the fellowship, choir, talent shows, and Christmas plays. When many of those activities were discontinued, I began searching again.

One day, while browsing Craigslist, I came across an advertisement for a religious educator at UU St. Pete. Around the same time, someone had told me how much they admired the church’s way of being in the world. I applied and got the job.

Since then, I have found that Unitarian Universalist values and spiritual philosophy are a wonderful fit for me. I truly enjoy working with children and look forward to spending time with them again as we explore the values we share, express ourselves through crafts and music, and experience the joy of learning and having fun together in community

CHILDRENS SPIRITUAL EXPLORATION | NURSERY PROGRAMS |

cse@uustpete.org

Elliot enjoys to work with nursery-aged children. They have a kind heart and is always going the extra mile to be sure that any baby who cries, is found to smile before they go. Every Sunday, Elliot displays a calm and patient spirit that the children gravitate to. We are lucky to have them here at UU St. Pete.

MUSIC PROGRAM

liam.blaise@uustpete.org 

Liam received his BA in piano from FSU. He has been involved with music education in Pinellas County and beyond and continues as an area music teacher when not at UUSP. Liam believes in the power of knowing your neighbors, so introduce yourself -- and share any interest in music at the church too.