our mission is rooted in the belief that creative expression is essential for development. We aim to provide photography as a creative skill and mode of expression to urban youth. We believe that early development of creative skills will improve academic performance, self-confidence and tolerance for others.

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Photo by Megan, Cabrini Green 2011

Alexis Ellers
educator
Photographer Alexis Ellers grew up in Central Ohio.   At age 18 she moved to Chicago to attend Columbia College Chicago from where she graduated in December 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts in Photography.  While living in Chicago she became enthralled in the city’s bike culture.  She soon became active in the Rat Patrol Bike Club, a group of people who build strange bikes out discarded bikes and metals.

She is currently a teacher’s assistant at Marwen, which provides free after school art programs to under served Chicago middle school and high school students.  She continues to document the Rat Patrol Bike Club, a project she began in 2006. Her photographs are on display online at www.alexisellers.com
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Stacee Droege
educator 

Stacee Droege spends her time photographing counter culture in Chicago and throughout America.  You can see her latest work on her blog Adventures in Adventure Land. She is also a bicycle enthusiast and can be found riding a rickshaw or tall bike through the streets of Chicago on a regular basis. She is a 2007 alum of Columbia College Chicago.

                               

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photo by Malachy, 2003. Uptown

    
John Galvin           
founder/director       
John is motivated by the belief that early creative education helps to promote resiliency, academic success and healthy behaviors.  In 2002, John started the Early Exposures program with the help of the Chicago Youth Programs, Inc. and a grant from the Albert Schweitzer Foundation.  The program has continued to grow over the past nine years, and now has two educators that work with the site directors at CYP.  Every student is now provided a digital camera and has their own photo-blog.

The growth of Ee over the past several years is due to the support from CYP, the Injury Free Coalition For Kids of Chicago, the UIC College of Medicine and the generosity of many individual supporters.

The program could not run without the educators who teach the program every summer and the directors at CYP’s Cabrini Green, Uptown and Washington Park sites.