Calliope Creative, educator start after-school photography program in Milton-Freewater

Students in Milton-Freewater who are in grades 3 to 12 will have the opportunity later this summer to be the first students to participate in "Through the Lens: Mobile Youth Photography Program."

The pilot program, created by Calliope Creative photography studio founders Annelise and Nick Page, is designed to provide access to photography education for underserved youth.

"The program puts cameras, mentorship and professional instruction directly into the hands of young people in grades 3 through 12 who would not otherwise have access to them," a news release from Calliope Creative said.

The program will start as a bilingual after-school course this year at Freewater Elementary School. Calliope Creative plans to expand the program into the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and into Walla Walla as funding and capacity allows.

The initial launch of the program is possible because of a $20,000 gift from Dr. Sepehr Maxood, a Walla Walla cardiologist. The donation established the Maxood FRAME (First-generation Rising Arts Mentorship and Education) Fund.

As a first-generation immigrant himself, Maxood made the gift because he wanted to leave a lasting impact on the community that shaped him.

"His generosity funds five years of operations for the Milton-Freewater cohort, seeds a scholarship and mentorship endowment for future students, and supports planning to expand the program into Pendleton and CTUIR communities," the release said.

The course will teach students how to use a camera with intention, document the cultures and communities they come from, and build skills they can carry into the future. The first program will end with an exhibition of work from the first cohort of students and will be open to the community.

"Art is one of the few things that can save us when there is nothing else," Through the Lens co-founder Annelise Page said. "Cia (Cortinas Rood) and I have both lived that truth. We are not setting out to change the world. We are setting out to change it for the children in our small corner of it, and if we do, that will be enough. We are starting small, but this program was built to grow."

Cortinas Rood, the executive chief director of the program, has worked in Milton-Freewater School District for the past four years. She has taught in the Pacific Northwest and in Colombia. About 95% of her students come from low-income households. About 62% of her students are Latino.

"It has been an absolute joy and a true life purpose to serve the students and families of the Milton-Freewater School District," Cortinas Rood said. "The opportunities that the arts provide to our high poverty, low income and migrant families are not only vital, they create pathways to new futures. We often hear that free public education is the great equalizer, and that must include access to the arts."

Cortinas Rood said the arts are what carried her through high school and recovery from a traumatic brain injury. She is currently pursuing her administrative license.

"I've had the pleasure of fundraising and collaborating with Dr. Sepehr Maxood for more than a year," she said. "To be able to combine the vision that Annelise Page has championed with the vision I have carried for many years, and to see it come to fruition through teamwork and a collaborative spirit, is more than we could have hoped for. This project represents what is possible when a community comes together on behalf of its children."

More information about the program is available on Calliope Creative's website at tinyurl.com/3ptr5h6j.

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