WHO ARE THE TEAM RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING READING OPENS DOORS?
Elise Ellerman
Creator
Elise Ellerman is the creator of the Reading Opens Doors program. Some of her earliest and fondest childhood memories include reading books and magical stories for hours on end.
Her mum ensured that she and her sister were surrounded by books.
Her mum’s passion for reading contributed to Elise’s love for books and later in life her desire to expose as many children as possible to the beauty and joy that can come from reading.
Before having children, Elise was a secondary school teacher with ten years classroom experience and the last three-and-a-half years of her teaching career were spent in the role as a Deputy Principal.
As an English teacher, Elise was passionate about devising creative ways to encourage her students to read. Reading Opens Doors was born (albeit a simpler form of the program that exists today). Elise introduced the Reading Opens Doors program to her multi-age classroom and it proved to be very successful in that more children were reading more books. Quickly the program spread through the school with similar results.
Mia Clark
Artist, Illustrator & Educator
Mia graduated from a 4 year degree at The University of Tasmania in Fine Art and Education by the ripe old age of 21. The next 3 years were spent developing her skills teaching high school students followed by several years exploring the world with her sketchbook.
As a specialist Art Teacher, Mia can teach all ages.
She has taught students from 6 to 90! Mostly adults for the last 20 years at tafe, university and Brisbane Institute of Art. Mia has also had a portraiture business beside Salamanca Art Gallery for 10 years. She still does several commissions a year. Some of her commissions are illustrations including working on Elise's wonderful Reading Opens Doors project.
Jo Errey-Myers
Creative Designer & Illustrator
Jo’s career kick started, after graduating from the University of South Australia with a Bachelor of Design, in Materials Development for the Education Department, creating learning resources for school students as an illustrator.
She then spent 15 years working long hours in Advertising Agencies in Brisbane on major brands in Art Direction.
Jo was thrown into a completely foreign world in 2008, after having triplet girls. Life was consumed with endless nappies, everyone learning to talk and walk, and later with the girls all starting to read and write at the same time. Along with balancing various other creative projects.
A few years later, Jo met Elise, heard her inspiring vision and was keen to come on board and design the graphic components and some illustrations for Reading Opens Doors.