Edit Like A Pro: Meet The Girls Learning Code Funky Photo Editing Mentors!

Girls Learning Code is back at it again! We are so excited for our very first workshop, Funky Photo Editing! In this hands-on experience, girls will learn how to use Gimp, an awesome, free photo editing tool similar to Photoshop. Girls will be getting into the spirit of Halloween early by using these new skills to zombify a photo of themselves! Here are the fantastic mentors who will be helping our learners get creative with pixels!

 

Lead Instructor: Cristina Graci (@Cryssi996 | http://obsessivecompulsive.me)
Project Manager at TPM Communications

Cristina is a project manager by day, and a compulsive creator by night! Ever since she was a little girl she’s been in love with technology and web development. At age 12 she started creating her own websites and graphics to participate in online horse RPG’s (and yes, you can giggle a little at that!). As a kid, Cristina attended a “website making” camp, and as you can see it made a huge impact on her life. She is very excited to have the opportunity to provide that same level of inspiration to the young girls at Girls Learning Code camp. Cristina has been working full time in the interactive industry for 5 years now, and still has just as much passion as the day she started. She is currently pursuing a degree in Business Technology Management while working as a full time Project Manager at TPM Communications. In what little spare time she has left, you can find her painting her nails, building a website, or working on a DIY project.

Ashley Lewis (@AshleyJaneLewis)
Event Producer, Girls Learning Code

Raised in the suburbs of Ontario, Ashley Lewis moved to Toronto to complete her degree. She is a tech savvy, Ryerson New Media grad with a passion for children’s content. Ashley is a hacking, interactive designer with a DIY mentality. With a background in fine art, she also enjoys painting, sculpting and drawing when she isn’t coding. She loves collaborating on creative projects with people of different specializations and is currently aiding in the launch of Toronto’s first mobile Children’s Museum, inspired by the late great Marshall McLuhan. She has worked and interned for companies like TIFF and CBC and is thrilled at the opportunity to add Ladies Learning Code to that list. As a lady learning code herself, she is excited at the thought of passing on that passion to younger generations.

 

 

GLC Event Producer: Kathryn Meisner (@KathrynMeisner)
Event Producer, Girls Learning Code

Kathryn Meisner loves inspiring young people to change the world. As a public speaker, workshop facilitator, and international trip facilitator with Me to We and Free the Children, she has helped more than 15,000 youth across North America be the change they wish to see. Organizining 7 We Days has shown her that youth can truly make a difference. Motivated by We Day, youth raised  $5.4 million for charity last year. Kathryn has designed and facilitated customized curriculum for many organizations including the Toronto District School Board has created a national curriculum for the Girl Guides of Canada and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada. Eventually becoming a certified teacher, she has seen the powerful impact digital literacy can have in a student’s life – increased creativity, perseverance, and problem-solving skills. To support young people becoming contributors to the web, Kathryn is now an educational consultant. She is also a social media consultant for career building. Most recently, Kathryn has helped to organize Mozilla’s Hive Pop-Up which brought together kids and non-profits serving youth for a day of creating using tech. She loves being an Event Producer for Girls Learning Code because she knows it will empower girls to change the world through technology!

Laura Plant (@lauralynplant)
Director, Ladies Learning Code

Laura grew up all over Southwestern Ontario, moving around her whole life. Always “the new girl” Laura began to understand, pretty early on, the importance of relationships and “staying connected”. With an educational and professional background in Human Resources, Laura made the shift to the world of consulting four years ago and has not looked back. The link between technology and human relationships fascinates her. This has ignited a personal passion for exploring and helping others to learn how to leverage and evolve the technology available to us in our world today and even tomorrow. In her spare time, Laura is exploring what technology has to offer and how it can help her do her job better, much like many of Ladies Learning Code’s beginner-level students. Laura is thrilled to have the opportunity to shape the way a group of 11-14 year olds view technology, and show them that it can be a creative medium for self-expression.

Carly Chalmers (@carlyjchalmers)
Intern, Ladies Learning Code

Carly Chalmers is a recent graduate of Ryerson University’s New Media program and the Intern at Ladies Learning Code. She is passionate about design, fostering creativity, and social innovation. Carly still remembers the feeling of wonder at being able to create art on the computer after her first interaction with Paint in grade 2. Today, she enjoys creating data visualisations, websites, and various graphic designs. She also enjoys coding and thinks cracking the code is one of the best feelings in the world. Away from her laptop, Carly can often be found at the ballet, art gallery, or planning her next big adventure. She’s looking forward to inspiring the next generation of designers at Girls Learning Code!

 

Anusha Chohan (@anushac6)
Freelance web developer

Anusha Chohan is a Web Developer in Toronto with a degree in Multimedia from McMaster University and a Certificate in Web Development from Humber College. After completing program at Humber College she worked in corporate organization for one of the big banks in Canada. After various positions in different sizes of firms she eventually moved on to a smaller company as a Web Producer for an online magaize which focused on lifestyle and fashion. She is currently freelancing. Anusha is thrilled to be working with Girls Learning Code as it provides an opportunity for young girls to get invovled in technologly and see how much fun it can be! Knowledge is power and providing girls with the tools will only benefit the tech world and diversify it.

Ellen Saunders
Freelance user experience and front end web designer