Meet Penny.

Entering her 5th decade of working with marginalized youth, Penny has always believed in the healing power of arts, music and storytelling. From pioneering youth media projects, to writing and directing plays for students with behavioural challenges, to starting a punk rock band with the residents of a group home, she is known as a revolutionary force in the field of child and youth care. Also known as a dauntless advocate, Penny is committed to raising awareness of the experience of youth who grow up in care including the mental health issues they encounter.

In the summer of 2019, she was the Executive Producer of Jesse Jams – a documentary about a young person she has worked with since 2012 and had been documenting on film since 2016. In collaboration with Trevor Anderson of Trevor Anderson Films and funding from Telus Originals, she was able to see the dream come to the screen.

Future  documentaries are on her to-do list and she is always on the look out for innovative projects that will have lasting benefits for disadvantaged youth, those who work with them, and the larger community. Penny is also a professional writer who now uses her literary skills to create poetry, plays and special projects.