Saimu, Media Educator
As the lead and on-site instructor, Saimu works with students and collaborates with our international educators to implement our innovating curriculum to the program. Saimu enjoys working with children, playing music and riding his motor bike through Thailand in search for the perfect photo shoot. |
Barbara Lavender - Photo Pal Co-Founder
Barb has been an attorney, in Boulder, Colorado, for 33 years, specializing in Native American tribal law and GLBT rights law. From 1975-6, she and her husband and then 4 year-old child set up an aquaculture and crop diversification project in the virgin jungle in Costa Rica, which has developed into the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge, and the largest organic farmers’ coop in Central America. Since then, Barb has worked with the former street children at TunaHaki Center, in Moshi, Tanzania (now being supported by GO Campaign), served on the Boulder County AIDS Project international outreach committee, and the board of Burma Lifeline, and has been a volunteer at Rejoice Thailand, the first HIV/AIDS clinic established in Thailand, and a volunteer at ETown, in Boulder, for many years. Barb, Poppy and Bear are the founders of Photo Pal, having started the project in 2011. |
Poppy Copeland, Photo Pal Co-Founder
Poppy received a BA in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley and went on to study international studies and psychology at the University of Denver. Her international work began during the early 1970’s when she spent four years in Thailand working for a foundation building schools for refugees from neighboring countries. Upon her return to the USA, she continued to work as a counselor specializing in the adjustment of people from other parts of the world coming to the USA, as well as Americans expatriating to other countries. She also served on the board of Burma Lifeline, which supported a clinic which provides medical care to Shan refugees in northern Thailand. Over the years, she has found that the arts are significantly important to intercultural adjustment. Photo Pal enables young refugees from the Shan state to take photographs of subjects important in their transition to a new life and to express their feelings around their experience. For many years, Poppy has also volunteered for the Conference on World Affairs at the University of Colorado, which this year will feature an exhibit of Migrant Art, including photos by our Photo Pal students. |
Bear Carlson, Photo Pal Co-Founder
Bear taught mechanical engineering design for 40 years, mostly at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he was Founding Co-Director of the Integrated Teaching and Learning Program and Laboratory. Now retired, he continues designing and building a variety of things using the hi-tech tools in the ITL Laboratory. He is an avid photographer, and has visited Thailand many times over the past 20 years. Bear, Poppy and Barb started Photo Pal in 2000 in the small village of Wiang Wai, near Fang in northern Thailand. |
Brooke Newman, Teacher Trainer
Brooke received her B.A., multiple subject teaching credential, and M.A. in Teaching and Learning from the University of California, San Diego. She has taught for sixteen years, and during that time collaborated with OTL for ten years with the Cameras in the Classroom program. Brooke is excited to mentor our OTL Media Educators and to empower youth across San Diego to use digital media. In her free time, Brooke enjoys spending time with her family, being outdoors, cooking and gardening. |
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Elisa Thomson, Coalition Builder
Elisa received her B.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara and continued her education at Art Center Pasadena and The Brooks Institute of Photography. She traveled extensively as a photojournalist and worked as a photo editor for ABC-Clio/Exegy. Her teaching is also informed by her many years as a commercial photographer for clients such as Quiksilver, Roxy, Tea & Scones, and House. Before founding Outside the Lens, Elisa was the lead educator at the Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego. [email protected] |