Sylvia Johnson has loved photography and working with images for as long as she can remember. In 2005, as a Fulbright grantee, Sylvia made her first short documentary film and taught a year long Literacy through Photography course in Brazil.

Her film, Alagados, was nominated for an award at the International Documentary Association and screened at festivals across the globe. Sylvia used the film to launch the Alagados Project, a nonprofit organization that promotes access to education for marginalized Brazilian youth.

Sylvia has an undergraduate degree from Middlebury College in International Studies with a minor in Art and is currently completing her MFA in Film and Media Arts at American University. This summer Sylvia will be teaching Filmmaking, Digital Photography, and Video Production.