As the daughter of a teacher, it’s not surprising that Becky Slogeris ’11 ’12  uses art to educate. In fact, the graphic design alumna hopes her degree project can do more—she hopes it has inspired Baltimore students to actively create change in their city and in their lives.

One of the biggest realizations Slogeris took from an urbanism class at MICA was that everything in Baltimore is the result of a conscious choice. By creating The Baltimore Textbook—a pocket-sized book that will be accompanied by screenprinted posters of some of the main concepts—Slogeris wants to get that message across to the city’s youth, especially targeting students in grades three through five. “What I’m hoping is they are empowered by the knowledge,” she said.

“You can look at what has happened in Baltimore’s past and get depressed about it, or you can come away knowing why things are the way they are, and that you have the tools at your disposal to begin to change things,” she said.

The Auburn Hills, Michigan native hopes her design expertise will make the textbook more engaging for her audience. “You wouldn’t think it would be important to pick the right typeface,” she said, “but people respond better when something is nicely designed and engaging.” She is also working with a third grader from Baltimore’s Mount Royal Elementary to create age-appropriate material.

Slogeris achieved much during her time at MICA, serving as a member of MICA’s Student Leadership Task Force Committee and Student Voice Association, as well as working with the College's Center for Design Practice on projects helping non-profits in Maryland. She received a France-Merrick Fellowship, Foundation Department Recognition Award, the Graphic Design Departmental Recognition Award, a Community Service Grant, and a LeaderShape scholarship for community arts projects.

She's currently a social design associate at MICA's Center for Social Design and continues to mentor young people as a social design instructor at Baltimore's Wide Angle Youth Media.