Our impact
Our students
We worked with more than 100 students in the 2019/2020 school year. In addition to the metrics above, the impact we had on their lives and schoolwork can best be described by their parents, schools, and the students themselves.
Parent testimonials
"She felt safe to create and learn."
“I.Imagine photography and Ms. Shannon have played such an important role in getting our daughter through middle school.
"The arts have always been a passion for Riley. However, her shyness has often stopped her from joining in groups or classes to explore her talents. Ms. Shannon was so inviting, kind, and compassionate from day one that she made Riley feel welcomed and safe to create and learn through photography.
"i.imagine has been so much more to Riley than just the skills and techniques of photography she has learned. i.imagine and Ms. Shannon have taken a shy, socially awkward teenage girl and helped her make friends, show leadership skills, and build confidence behind the lens of her camera. Ms. Shannon and the i.imagine team create such a warm, safe environment where kids like Riley are comfortable to open up, take chances, and be themselves.
Ms. Shannon is such a positive role model for her students. Middle school was hard for Riley and we don’t want to think about how much harder it would have been if she didn’t have photography class and her camera as an escape. We can’t thank you enough for helping to form Riley into the amazing photographer, and most importantly, human being that she is today."
-Ed and Penny Bonhaus, Middle School Parents
"She felt her contribution really mattered."
“Lanie and Lily have really enjoyed Photography club, meetup, exhibitions and Photography camp over the years. They've looked forward to these activities every year!
"Lanie enjoyed being part of a group where she felt her contribution really mattered, as she does not typically feel that way when she is in a group. She says Photography taught her creative ways to capture beauty. It gave her confidence to express her creative side.
"Lily says that she is able to think more creatively and see the world differently as a result of what she has learned from Photography. Last year as a 6th grader, she used her Photography skills to take her cousin's Senior Pictures. They turned out great and she was so proud!"
-Marty Wheatley, Middle School Parent
"A lasting and positive impact."
“The Gray Middle School Photography Club has left such a lasting and positive impact upon my daughter. Not only has it been a joy to observe her personality shine through her photographs, but the photography skills that she has mastered over the past few years is amazing.
"Through Mrs. Eggleston’s guidance, Shelby has developed a love for the art of photography and it has become more than just a hobby. She enjoys capturing pictures of patterns in nature and it is rare to see her without her camera, when we are hiking in the woods or on an outdoor adventure!
"We are so fortunate that Gray Middle School and i.imagine provided this meaningful opportunity for her, along with her peers. It has been such a rewarding experience, and one that she will not forget.”
-Katie Tranter, Middle School Parent
School testimonials
"Shannon and i.imagine have touched the lives of hundreds of children."
"Shannon and i.imagine have touched the lives of hundreds of children in a positive way through the GMS Photography Club.
"Shannon is well organized, is timely, professional, and treats all kids and adults with the utmost respect. In fact, a handful of students, who were perhaps previously disconnected from school, have been shown a path to unearth their creative passion and become inspired with the possibility of choosing media arts as a career choice. These students never miss a club meeting!!
"More importantly, Shannon has instilled in all of the kids a commitment to the service of others and the importance of appreciating a keen observance of their surroundings. It is my hope that this successful and popular after school activity will continue for many years to come.”
-Todd Novak, Principal of Grey Middle School
"Students learn essential 21st century skills."
"i.imagine programming is an outstanding example of the type of engaging extra-curricular activity we want for every student.
"Through i.imagine, students learn essential 21st century skills needed to be successful in today’s workforce. Students must think critically and be collaborative when developing the stories they wish to tell through the photographs they take. Whether those stories celebrate the human spirit or denounce social injustice, students learn to be empathetic to the experiences of other diverse people and communities.
"Through Mrs. Eggleston’s photography projects, students have also initiated service learning projects, such as volunteering time to photograph and display photos of dogs from the local animal shelter with the hopes of connecting potential owners with new pets.
"In all of Mrs. Eggleston’s projects, including i.imagine, students go beyond learning about the technical and aesthetic components of photography to learning that photography is a powerful medium that can report about and change the world around them.
"It is without reservation that I recommend to you Mrs. Shannon Eggleston, i.imagine, and any other student photography program that Mrs. Eggleston is leading!”
-James Detwiler, Deputy Superintendent of Boone County Schools
"Students look at things differently and seek deeper meaning in the everyday world."
“i.imagine is so very powerful for the students of Holmes Middle School!
"i.imagine provides so many valuable opportunities beyond the classroom, I could only begin to touch the surface. At the beginning level, students are engaged in photography – something that our students may never have an opportunity to experience.
"Additionally, students see the world through a completely different ‘lens.’ They are able to look at the ordinary, everyday world around them and produce a true work of art. They look at things differently and seek deeper meaning in the everyday world.
"Lastly, our students become artists! They see a product through, from beginning to end and often that final product is a work of art that helps define them in their world. i.imagine is a truly awesome experience for students and hopefully, a partnership to last!”
-Jeanetta Kathman, Principal of Holmes Middle School
Student testimonials
"When I’m behind the lens, I feel like a real photographer. In Holmes Middle School Photography, I like how they inspire us to do anything we dream of."
-Emma
"It makes me really happy when people can relate to pictures I take because it doesn’t make them feel alone.
I like taking pictures to make people aware of the beauty in the world. Joining photography club is one of the best clubs I have ever joined and I am glad to be here."
-Riley
"When I’m behind the lens, I feel like a respected artist and it makes me envision the future “me," In the future, I would like to be a photographer.
I like Photography Club because it helps me to relive my feelings and actions through my pictures."
-Timmy