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Media Think can provide media literacy expertise for you or your organization. Whatever your needs, Media Think has an outstanding network of professionals with years of experience teaching, creating, lecturing, training, writing, documenting and developing new paths of knowledge for media literacy.
For more information, please contact our main number at 503-452-7333 or email us at info[at]mediathink.org.
Vanessa is a founding board member of Media Think. A teacher, artist and documentary filmmaker, she has more than twelve years experience in communications, public relations and media. Vanessa has appeared on radio, television and as visiting lecturer for a variety of audiences. She became part of NMLC while researching a film documenting the affects of media on adolescent behavior, emotion and perception of the world around them. She received her M.A.T. from Lewis and Clark Graduate School, her film degree from Columbia College in Chicago where she worked in the advertising and commercial film industry. Vanessa currently teaches high school for Portland Public Schools.
Sara Leverette currently works as the Outreach Program Director for the Oregon Environmental Council. In this capacity, she works to reduce children's exposure to toxins through OEC's Eco-Healthy Childcare and Tiny Footprints programs. Sara’s interest in media literacy grew out of her experience as the director of the Coalition for Commercial-Free Schools where she was working to reduce commercial influence in public schools. Sara has a background in outreach, public health, and environmental consulting and chairs Portland Public Schools’ Wellness Advisory Committee. She earned a bachelor's degree from Claremont Mckenna College with a double major in Environment, Economics, and Politics and Spanish. During college, Sara studied abroad at the University of Havana in Cuba.
Joan Rutkowski has a BS in Journalism from University of Portland and a Masters in Teaching from Lewis & Clark College. She was an editor at the Southwest Community Connection newspaper in Portland for five years. Implementing the newspaper’s mission to build community through communication helped Joan develop a broader perspective on the power and potential of media. She later taught Language Arts, Journalism and Newspaper classes at Aloha High School for three years, incorporating lessons about media literacy into her curricula. Joan’s first presentation with NMLC was in 2004 as a panel guest to discuss “Media and Power in Fahrenheit 451,” as part of the Multnomah County Library “Everybody Reads” program. She currently is taking graduate classes in philosophy and communication to learn more about how media influence perceptions and expectations about self and reality.
Rick Seifert is a teacher, journalist and community activist. He founded the Southwest Community Connection newspaper in Southwest Portland in 1994 and continues to write for the monthly paper. In addition to serving as founding board member and past board chair of Media Think, he is on the boards of the Hillsdale Business and Professional Association and the Hillsdale Farmers Market, which he also founded. He has taught journalism at several universities including the University of Montana, the University of California (Berkeley) and the University of Portland. He now teaches part time at Portland Community College. He has his BA from Stanford University and his Masters in Journalism from Columbia University
Sandra Taylor, MSW, LCSW, founding board member of Media Think, is a licensed clinical social worker providing treatment for both adults and adolescents in her private practice. She is also affiliated with Providence Behavioral Health Services facilitating group treatment for their DBT Program. Sandra is on the board of the Columbia River Eating Disorders Network, a group of professionals providing education and treatment to individuals suffering from eating disorders, and was past Director of the Ottawa/Carlton Bereavement Counseling Center of Ottowa, Canada. She is committed to the development of positive self esteem in young people and has presented to and been a consultant for schools, health clinics, parent groups and religious organizations, on the media and its affects on body image, self-esteem, and eating disorders across the spectrum.
Erik Vidstrand has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Child Development and a Master of Public Health. Since coming back from West Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer, Erik has been dedicated to monitoring the tobacco industry and has educated thousands of educators and youth around the country. In 2000, Erik was trained at the New Mexico Media Literacy Project as a media literacy catalyst and helped found Media Think. Erik is a Health Educator with the Multnomah County Health Department School Based Health Center Program in Portland, Oregon and the Director of Northwest DOC (Doctors Ought to Care), which coordinates anti-smoking campaigns throughout the Northwest.
Ellen Currey-Wilson is the author of the upcoming book, "The Big Turnoff: Confessions of a TV-Addicted Mom Trying to Raise a TV-Free Kid," to be published by Algonquin and released in the spring, 2007. When Currey-Wilson finally stopped watching reruns of Seinfeld, she brought TV-Turnoff Week to her son's school and started inspiring others to get unplugged. She now offers TV-free parenting workshops and presentations and has been featured in the Oregonian and Metro Parent for her work. Currey-Wilson received a bachelor's degree in journalism from Southern Methodist University and a teaching certificate from Lewis and Clark College, and has been a writer, reporter, public speaker and teacher for the past 20 years. She lives in Portland with her husband and son, one cat and one television, which resides in the guest room. To bring Currey-Wilson to your school, group or organization please contact Media Think. For information on upcoming events related to her book you can contact her directly at ecurrey-wilson@hotmail.com ecurrey-wilson@hotmail.com or call (503) 267-1852.
Carl Davis is a parent activist, cinematographer, and media studies educator. In April of 2000, Carl and his wife Susan attended "Catalyst" training at the New Mexico Media Literacy Project, one of the nation's leading grassroots media literacy organizations. From that experience they developed and implemented a media literacy program for their son's school, Da Vinci Middle School. Carl was instrumental in the early development of Media Think. He has taught media literacy at the Northwest Film Center's summer media academy for high school teachers, and a graduate class at Lewis and Clark College's Graduate School of Education entitled "Mass Media and the Imagination."
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formerly the Northwest Media Literacy Center (NMLC)
2115 SW Tyrol St., Portland, OR 97239
(503) 452-7333
