Mission Statement

The mission of Shine On, Chicago! is to teach high school & middle school students the basics of video production in after school and summer camp programs. Through the process of creating their video, students will learn:
• how to conceive and participate in a multi-camera shoot
• how to work in a team environment
• the importance of technology in today's world
• respect, for themselves and the production equipment



Introducing the Shine On, Chicago! Team:

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The Shine On, Chicago! mobile production classroom provides the perfect vehicle, literally – to combine my talent and passion for teaching photography and videography.”
Jim Kropp

Jim Kropp -- Program Director

Jim is a videographer, television producer, editor, photographer, author, and teacher. He started his career in advertising as a creative director before transitioning into video production.

Through his production company, Creative Spark!, Jim has produced television shows and created documentaries and music videos for NBC, PBS, and ABC. Jim taught television production at The Illinois Center for Broadcasting for 5 years and photography at The Chicago Photography Center since 2007. He is a board member of The Chicago Creative Pro User Group (Chicpug.org) for production and post-production professionals.

He is a self-taught photographer who has traveled extensively documenting the world’s people and culture. Beginning first with traditional film cameras and have continued to date with digital.

Shine On, Chicago! gives Jim an opportunity to bring all his skills together to help kids better understand video production and photography.

To find out more about Jim's books, visit www.capturingbeautybooks.com.


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“Kids gravitate to me because I can relate to a lot of the situations they may be going through. I see myself as a go between for management and the kids. As a ambassador for these students, their goals and dreams become my goals and dreams!”
Ernie Scatton

Ernie Scatton -- Student Affairs

Ernie brings to Shine On, Chicago his two great passions: teaching kids and being involved in team sports! For almost 10 years, Ernie worked at ESPN, with the last 5 a commercial director where he lived and breathed professional sports.

Then he left the sports side to pursue his other passion: working with kids and young adults. Ernie spent 3 years as the Educational Director at The Illinois Center for Broadcasting where he discovered that he was a natural born teacher and could motivate students to work hard and was able to make difficult situations and production assignments lighter, easier and more fun!

As students began coming to him for career advice and tips for making it through the ICB program, he soon realized that teaching young adults was something that was already in his DNA – as his mother had taught in the CPS for over 30 years before retiring!

Ernie's role in Shine On, Chicago! as the Director of Student Affairs plays to his strengths of being as a people person, problem solver and go-getter.


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Teaching students how to use a camera and their imaginations to take beautiful pictures is one of the greatest gifts you can give a teen.... It gives them new ways to look at their world and to see themselves from different perspectives!
Pat Potokar

Pat Potokar -- Photo/Video Instructor

Pat Potokar has been a certified Art faculty member at Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South High Schools, teaching photography, video, and design for eighteen years.

Pat holds a Bachelor of Art from the University of Illinois at Chicago in Photography and Graphic Design, an advanced degree from Dominican University in Education, a Master’s degree from Benedictine University in Educational Leadership, and a Master of Art in Art Education from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Before earning her teaching degrees, Pat worked as a designer in Chicago area design firms for two decades. She is a member of the Hinsdale Public Library Art Committee and has a solo exhibition this summer at the Library.
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As soon as I saw the Shine On, Chicago Coach -- I knew that kids and students of all ages would just love it! What a terrific production space and teaching space in one cool package! I think it's a great program for teaching video production and digital storytelling, and look forward to helping the company achieve its many objectives and goals.
Bill Natale

Bill Natale -- Advisory Board Member

Bill is an Emmy-Award winning producer/director and executive member of the Directors Guild of America Midwest Council. He has served as the Executive Director of the Illinois Center for Broadcasting, Chicago Campus; Executive Producer of Internet Streaming Corporation and Executive Producer of WATCH312.COM.

Bill has worked as a freelance broadcast professional in various capacities for media outlets, including radio stations: WXRT, WGN and Spanish language WSBC as well as TV stations: WGN, WMAQ, WTTW, WFLD, WLS, WBBM, WYCC, WJYS, WKYC, WIFR, WTMJ, WVTV and Spanish language WGBO.  He has also authored two books: a children’s book entitled “Woolly Wurm,” with all profits going to Infant Welfare Society and a recent release of an adult book published by IMAGE Press entitled: “1968 – A Story As Relevant Today As It Was Then,” available at Anderson Book Stores, AMAZON and on KINDLE.

Bill serves as president of the board of directors for PanAmerica Performance Works Theatre Company (formerly Latino Chicago Theater Company).   He has served as a member of the board of directors for the Chicago chapter of the National Association of Television Arts & Sciences and as Chairman of the Broadcast Promotion & Marketing Executives Association.

Bill continues to do work as a producer/director. Recently, PBS aired to over 224 public TV stations, the documentary he directed, "Water Pressures,” dealing with the global water crisis, hosted by Adian Grenier (star of HBO's Entourage).
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Working with Jim and Shine on Chicago has allowed me to discover a passion and love for film....
Antwan Ward, aka "Showtime"

Antwan Ward -- Instructor/Coach

Antwan Ward, "Showtime", graduated from the Illinois Center for Broadcasting in downtown Chicago in 2013. At first he didn't really know much about film or the editing process until he met an instructor there by the name of Jim Kropp.

During the beginning stages of learning how to edit, he was frustrated a lot because he didn't know if he would be able to sit and learn. But because of the patience and expertise of Jim, he was able to learn not only how to edit film, but shoot my own film.

As Antwan says, "Jim dedicated a lot of his own personal time and energy into helping me get comfortable with working with Final Cut Pro 7 and FCP X in a short time." The videography and editing skills that he learned allowed him to quickly find freelance work with several nonprofit organizations and businesses creating fantastic videos for their organizations.
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“There is true purpose in all we do, if purpose goes unrecognized ones path becomes clouded and no longer clear.”
Latisha Morris, aka "Tish"

Latishia Morris -- Instructor/Coach

Latishia, or Tish, attended a broadcast production school, and used what she learned to teach Chicago Middle and High School students about video production for After School Matters.

Tish inspires her students to try new ideas and come up with creative solutions to video productions. She is extremely creative and likes working both in front and behind the cameras (both video and photography) and has a passion for fashion and makeup!

It's her positive energy and enthusiasm that gets kids excited about learning the technology that makes her such as important part of the Shine On, Chicago teaching team.
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