I spent a recent morning with the Earth Conservation Corps, a local DC organization responsible for restoring the Anacostia River and surrounding habitats, and re-introducing bald eagles to the city more than twenty years ago. Raptor conservation is a big part of ECC's work, and with the support of the National Park Trust, they're able to bring their raptor educational program to students all over the metro area, including the boys of St. Ignatius Loyola Academy in Baltimore, MD.

Looking back on the first year of my business, there's one experience that comes to mind as one of the most memorable of my professional life. I had the privilege of photographing the Youth Empowerment Project through Momenta’s Project: New Orleans workshop. YEP engages people of all ages through community-based education, mentoring and employment readiness programs — children whose lives have been directly affected by substance abuse, youth who live in at-risk communities, young adults transitioning out of the juvenile detention system, even a grandmother working toward her high school equivalency diploma. Perhaps the most inspiring, though, were the YEP mentors who, years ago, joined the program as youth participants, and are now paying it forward to the next generation.

A Montessori learning environment is one of my favorite places to create pictures. The children are always deeply engaged in their work, and the hands-on materials are simple and beautiful. Here are a few photos from the multiple visits I made to Aidan Montessori School over the past few months.