CMI Annual Report 2023-2024

CMI Projects
CMI Projects
Exploring Drone Photography
The Mon Valley Photography Collective hosted Certified
Drone Pilot Dr. Lori Paluti, of Clairton, for an Introductory
to Drone Photography Workshop for photographers
interested in learning about the process of becoming a
certified drone operator. The workshop provided a handson
opportunity to operate a consumer drone.
Photo by Comocrea Johnson
Seasonal Delights
The group also captured the splendor of autumn during an
outing to Triple B Farms in Monongahela and volunteered
to photograph local children visiting with Santa Claus at
the Carnegie Library of McKeesport Christmas Party so
attendees could have a keepsake from the event.
Photo by Nan Belli
MEET
NYA
O’NEAL
Photo by Martha Rial
Tapping into Community Voices
McKeesport’s annual Good Neighbor Day gave Tube City
Writers members a chance to apply their interviewing
skills to gather community stories from the Mayor Michael
Cherepko, McKeesport Fire Department Chief Jeff
Tomovcsik, Meals on Wheels coordinator Rose Marshall
and NAACP McKeesport Unit President Brenda Sawyer
for an upcoming “Voices of the Valley” podcast.
Photo by Martha Rial
From Stills to Motion
Members of the Mon Valley Photography Collective
learned how to capture video on their DSLR and
mirrorless cameras during a hands-on session during
Good Neighbor Day with Olivia Valyo, of Point Park
University’s Center for Media Innovation.
Photo by Martha Rial
We first met McKeesport Area High School student Nya O’Neal in 2018 when she was a
participant in YouthCAST’s youth leadership program. During our first session we asked her
what word she use to describe herself, she chose “awkward.”
It has been a wonderful to watch Nya grow as a person and a communicator over the past five
years. She has participated in our photography workshops and Tube City Writers sessions
despite the many demands on her time such as school, church, theater, and marching band.
She also contributed images to the Faces of McKeesport mural, read her stories at Tube City
Writers Live in 2021 and 2022 and exhibited her photographs. One of her photographs sold.
In her senior year, she became editor of McKeesport Area High School’s Red & Blue student
newspaper.
Nya recently completed her freshmen year at Howard University where she is majoring in
journalism. With the help of Tube City Writers, she is working on a story this about antiviolence
initiatives in McKeesport. Her goal for the coming school year is to become involved
with the student newspaper The Hilltop.
She continues to inspire others in our programs with her enthusiasm and curiosity. I believe
she would choose “confident” as the word to describe herself today.
– Martha Rial
18 19