LIGHTthe Way
A Cinematic Tribute
— Est. 2007
Honoring Janice Murphy — Founder & President of Light the Way Foundation. A legacy of opening doors to a brighter future.
Twelve Chapters
of Light
From childhood roots to a legacy that continues to illuminate — the story of Janice Murphy and Light the Way Foundation.
The Spark
Janice Murphy grew up knowing what it felt like to be left out — not because of lack of talent, but lack of resources. As a child in California, she watched her peers participate in enrichment programs, after-school activities, and creative experiences that felt just out of reach. Those closed doors didn't break her spirit — they ignited it. She memorized the feeling of being on the outside looking in, and made a quiet, fierce promise to herself: one day, she would build the doors she never had access to. That promise became the foundation of everything.
A Mind for Technology
Janice understood early that education was both the key and the door. She pursued her B.S. in Computer Information Systems from Strayer University with the same focused intensity that would later define her leadership. Late nights at the computer, early mornings in textbooks — she embraced the discipline that technology demanded. Her CIS degree wasn't just an academic achievement; it was a declaration that a Black woman from California could master the language of the future. She proved that brilliance, paired with persistence, can rewrite any story.
A Leader in the Making
Not content to stop at technical mastery, Janice climbed higher. She earned her MBA from the University of Maryland University College (UMUC), sharpening the strategic vision, organizational thinking, and leadership acumen that would later shape a movement. The MBA wasn't simply a credential — it was her blueprint for impact at scale. She learned how institutions are built, how missions are sustained, and how communities are transformed through intentional leadership. Every business case she studied, she filtered through one question: how can this serve the children who are waiting?
A Vision Becomes a Foundation
In 2007, Janice Murphy turned vision into action. She founded the Light the Way Foundation — a 501(c)(3) nonprofit rooted in a single, radical belief: every child deserves access to enrichment opportunities that build confidence, creativity, and leadership. The name was chosen with care. Light doesn't just illuminate — it guides, it warms, it reveals possibility. From the very first day, LTW was more than an organization; it was a covenant with every young person who had ever stood outside, looking in. Janice didn't just open doors. She built an entire house of possibility.
Opening Doors for Youth
LTW began with small but mighty programs — carefully designed safe spaces where youth of all ages could explore creativity, build teamwork skills, and discover their own potential. Kids ages 2–17 have participated in LTW programs. These weren't after-school babysitting programs. They were intentional laboratories of growth. Janice ensured that every activity had a purpose: build confidence here, nurture curiosity there, plant a seed of leadership in every session. Children who walked in uncertain left with something they couldn't name but could feel — the quiet conviction that they were capable, that they mattered, and they are equipped to reach their goals.
The Birth of Film Camp
Among LTW's most transformative initiatives, the annual Film Summer Camp gave young people something extraordinary: the power of their own voice captured on film. LTW hired industry experts to teach youth skills in creating a documentary, both in front and behind the camera. Students were guided through writing scripts, building storyboards, operating equipment, and producing their own original documentaries. For many, it was a revelation — a moment of discovering that their perspective, their neighborhood, their story was worth telling. The camp didn't just teach filmmaking. It taught young people that they are the authors of their own narrative.
Red Carpet Moments
When the cameras stopped rolling, the celebration began. LTW Film Camp students didn't just make films — they premiered them. Red carpets were rolled out. Families dressed up. Communities gathered. Students who had once doubted their own creative power walked through those gold stanchions with their heads held high, accepting applause from the people who loved them most. Janice stood in the wings every time, watching. She knew that these red carpet moments weren't vanity — they were transformational. When a child experiences genuine celebration of their work, something permanent shifts in how they see themselves.
Festival Recognition
The world took notice. LTW student films earned recognition at the California International Children's Film Festival and the LA International Children's Film Festival — prestigious national stages where youth voices from District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia stood alongside filmmakers from across the country and around the globe. These weren't participation trophies. They were earned recognitions of artistic merit. For Janice, the festival laurels meant something deeper than prestige: they proved that when you give underserved children the right tools, support, and belief, they can compete — and win — on any stage in the world.
Community Honors
The recognition came home. LTW students earned the Charles County Commissioners' Citation — a formal acknowledgment from local government that these young people had done something extraordinary for their community. For Janice, a California native who built this foundation in Prince George's County and serves the DMV area, the citation was deeply personal. It meant that the children she believed in had been seen — not just by Hollywood film festivals, but by their own government, their own neighbors, their own community. It was validation that investing in youth enrichment isn't charity. It's civic infrastructure. It builds stronger communities from the inside out.
Expanding into STEM
Janice's CIS roots ran deep, and she knew that the future demanded technological fluency. LTW expanded into robotics, coding, arts, and sports — creating a full ecosystem of enrichment that met every kind of young mind. STEM programming became a cornerstone: students built robots, wrote code, solved engineering challenges, and experienced firsthand the joy of making technology do something. For children who had never seen themselves represented in tech careers, these programs weren't just educational — they were identity-expanding. Janice knew that the next generation of innovators wouldn't come only from prep schools. They would come from every corner, if given the chance.
Powered by Community
Janice has always known that no mission is accomplished alone. LTW's growth was powered by a constellation of community partners — the ENA Foundation, Election Systems & Software, Toni Ritzenberg Estate, Rotary Club of Washington DC, LTW Officers & Board Members, and countless individuals who believed in the Foundation's vision. These partnerships weren't transactional; they were relational. They were built on shared values and mutual trust. Janice cultivated each relationship with the same intentionality she brought to her programs — understanding that community is not just the beneficiary of the work, but the engine that drives it. Together, they proved that when a village chooses to invest in its children, the returns are immeasurable.
With deepest gratitude to the partners whose belief in the mission makes this work possible. Tap a logo to learn more.
A Legacy of Light
Today, Janice Murphy stands as a visionary leader, a tireless servant, and a living testament to the power of purpose. The little girl who once watched other children from behind closed doors grew up to tear those doors off entirely — and in their place, built something permanent: a foundation that has touched hundreds of young lives across more than seventeen years. Her legacy is not measured in awards or accolades alone, but in the quiet confidence of every child who discovered the voice in LTW programs. She lights the way not by standing in front — but by illuminating the path they were always meant to walk.
Opening Doors,
Changing Lives
17+
Years of Impact
Since 2007
500+
Youth Served
Ages 9–18
2
Film Festivals
National Recognition
6+
Programs
Film, STEM, Arts & More
Programs & Initiatives
Building confidence, creativity, and leadership through diverse enrichment programs.
Film Summer Camp
Documentary filmmaking, storytelling, and production for young voices
Robotics & STEM
Building robots, coding, and technology exploration for future innovators
Creative Arts
Visual arts, music, and creative expression that builds identity
Mentorship
Youth leadership development, guidance, and life skills building
Community Sports
Team building, discipline, and confidence through athletic programs
Academic Enrichment
Tutoring, academic support, and college readiness programs
When you light the way for a child, you light the way for the future.
Continue Janice's mission. Support the Light the Way Foundation and help open doors for the next generation.
Become the Light