Teachers
 Christoffer Næss is the workshop leader for Scandinavian Stories. He is experienced in teaching digital storytelling to children and youth and has extensive experience in both film and photography. Originally from Norway, Christoffer has been based in New York City since 2007. He has worked as a lead coordinator for two youth media projects in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, where he trained children in photojournalism, enabling them to tell stories about themselves and their communities through photography. He also coordinated a video letter project that taught basic film production and media literacy. In this project, the children created short films intended to educate the outside world about their lives. Currently, he is developing and managing Kids with Cameras, an after school program in the Bronx. Major influences on Christoffer's pedagogical approach to media literacy and education include Paulo Freire and Nel Noddings. Christoffer has an M.A. in International Affairs, with a focus on youth media, human rights, and urbanization, from the New School University in New York.  Maria Flores is a workshop facilitator for Scandinavian Stories. She has worked professionally in a number of the nation's leading art and cultural institutions -- including the Brooklyn Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago -- as a grant writer and freelance fundraiser. She has wide experience as a writer, photographer, and blogger. Her work has been seen in publications such as the Gothamist and Honest Magazine. Originally from Ohio, Maria currently lives and works in Brooklyn. She is an avid traveler whose interests lie where traditional ways of life encounter rapidly changing societies. She is most fascinated by projects that foster artistic activity, encourage civic dialogue on important contemporary issues like gentrification and globalization, and explore individuals' personal histories. She is greatly influenced by storytellers and travel writers, such as Paul Theroux and Gregory David Roberts, as well as Dadaism as a political and cultural movement. Maria holds a B.A. in Art History and Philosophy from DePaul University in Chicago. |
