In teaching, A.M. brings respect and a method in which our clients can learn to express their thoughts and feelings in a creative way. She is a passionate advocate for unheard voices and unheard stories. I believe A.M. has found her heart in this work.

- Chaela Manning-Ferguson, Counselor, Columbia River Correctional Institution

It was the tattoo of an ink pen that got her the job, A.M. OMalley jokes over coffee.

In 2007, just weeks after moving to Portland from Minneapolis, OMalley interviewed for a position as outreach coordinator at the Independent Publishing Resource Center. But, she admits, the then-executive director (who had a similar tattoo) actually picked OMalley for a background that included both zine making and teaching youth.

She hasnt left.

I cant think of any other work in Portland for me, she says. My passion is giving voice to people who dont have one, or arent heard a lot of times.

OMalley is the program director at the IPRC, which consists of letterpress and screen printing studios, a computer lab, a zine library and a workspace where people are encouraged to publish their own writing, artwork and digital media.

Every day, OMalley answers inquiries from schools starved for arts education. She supervises interns and volunteers, manages in-house events, and meets with instructors. She sends out IPRCs newsletter and updates the website. But thats only in the mornings.

Most afternoons are spent elsewhere, often conducting writing workshops at the Columbia River Correctional Institution. OMalley, who piloted the class two years ago, leads sessions and publishes the inmates work.

I have this opportunity to help them write about their lives, she says. I really try to steer them to write nonfiction, because they have fascinating stories. I try to give them tools for how to do that.

For inmates who graduate, OMalley has written too many reference letters to countfor employers, landlords and colleges. Occasionally, shell teach an impromptu computer class at the prison.

When some of these guys went into prison, she says, there were no iPhones.

The inmates frequently share with her that the course changed their lives.

They always talk about how I handed them this vehicle to have a voice, she says. I just make sure to let the guys I work with know that Im on their side. By Steph Barnhart

Bottome Line for Portland

A.M. has taught Zine Making 101 to more than 25,000 students in schools that thirst for arts programming, and her writing program for the Columbia River Correctional Institution has benefited 60 inmates in two years.

Her prize was generously sponsored by Pabst Blue Ribbon.