Lynn University's Social Impact Lab buzzed with energy on Jan. 11, as students and employees joined Impact.Edition magazine and the Good Miami Project to officially open the "Who is Miami: Narrative for Change" exhibit.
Photographer Greg Clark founded the Good Miami Project to help tell the story of the beauty and complexity of Miami. By providing pro bono photoshoots, Clark showcases the good work that Miami nonprofits accomplish for the community. The "Who is Miami" initiative is a multimedia storytelling collaboration that captures changemakers in South Florida through Clark's photography and showcases talented people and organizations that actively invest in furthering the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
"I've been blessed that people like the images, and I get to know all these different nonprofit organizations and give them exposure through my photography. I can tell their story and push their mission forward," said Clark. "And with this new collaboration with Impact.Edition and Lynn, I hope I can inspire students to do the same and tap into their strengths to give back to their community."
The exhibit began with Dr. Antonella Regueiro, the lab's director, introducing Photographer Greg Clark, Impact.Edition Editor-in-Chief Samantha Schalit, and Impact.Edition Founder and Publisher Yulia Strokova. Each of the guests spoke in-depth to faculty and students about the collaboration between Impact.Edition and Good Miami Project to create the "Who is Miami" initiative. During the Q&A that concluded the exhibit, the guests challenged students with ways in which they could empower themselves to help their communities.
"This exhibit aligns with our mission to engage students with the SDGs, whether through academic or co-curricular programming," said Regueiro. "Our students are in the midst of discovering the power of civic engagement, and having an initiative like 'Who is Miami' on campus motivates them to do good in the community."
The Who is Miami exhibit is on display on the third floor of the Christine E. Lynn University Center through March. Each photo carries a QR code that links to Impact.Edition articles about the individuals and organizations showcased in the images. When it comes to the work Impact.Edition is doing for younger readers, Strokova passionately champions the magazine's new collaboration with Lynn.
"Collaborating with Lynn allows us to reach out to a younger generation of readers and show them that anyone, anywhere can be a changemaker and take action for the common good," said Strokova. "We hope students will find inspiration through the lens of Greg's photography and our stories to make our communities more just, resilient and sustainable."
