RIT's Renowned Photography School Offers Free Workshop to Educators, March 18-20

Lisa Troubetaris, a high school teacher outside of Syracuse, has taught photography for ten years. With technology constantly changing, Troubetaris wants to broaden her knowledge of digital to better prepare her students for careers in the photography field. And Joan Thompson, a high school teacher in Frederick, Md., faces the challenge of launching a digital arts program on a shoestring budget.

Both Troubetaris and Thompson are among the dozens of educators from around the country coming to Rochester Institute of Technology to hone their skills from the best of the best. RIT's School of Photographic Arts and Sciences—internationally renowned for photo education—will host the annual Basic Photography and Imaging Workshop for Educators, March 18-20.

Since the workshop began in 1996, RIT's photography faculty members have donated their time and talents at no charge. The three-day seminar is open to high school and junior college instructors. Sessions focus on technical as well as practical photographic topics such as studio photography and lighting, photomacrography, color management, digital photography and publishing.

“I see this as an opportunity to meet with those people who are preparing my future students,” says Guenther Cartwright, associate professor in the School of Photographic Arts and Sciences. “It really is a two way street. I learn what high school teachers and community college teachers are doing with their students, and these teachers are learning the level of expectation that we have. And it is simply rewarding to be around people who appreciate the information that we share with them.”

Fellowships, valued at $595, were awarded to qualifying instructors. Selection criteria include secondary or collegiate affiliation, instruction of topic-relevant courses and the order of applications received.

Rochester Institute of Technology's renowned School of Photographic Arts and Sciences is among the premier photography schools in the country. Degree programs are offered in biomedical photography, advertising, fine art, imaging and photographic technology, imaging systems management, and photojournalism.

RIT is also internationally recognized as a leader in computing, imaging technology, fine and applied arts, and education of the deaf, enrolling 15,300 full- and part-time students in more than 340 career-oriented and professional programs.

For well over a decade, U.S. News and World Report has ranked RIT as one of the nation's leading comprehensive universities. RIT is also included in The Fiske Guide to Colleges and Barron's Best Buys in Education.