GlobalGiving.org: Teaching Photography & Advocacy to D.C. Youth

Picture a school with no library.

Alison Hanold — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:38:33 GMT

Box of Books

On January 19th, Josh Elliot will speak at the opening of a new library at his high school -- a library being built with funds that the students fought for using the photographs and advocacy skills they developed with Critical Exposure.

D.C. Metropolitan H.S. opened in 2010 with enough money for a computer lab or a library, but not both. The principal, faced with a tough decision, chose computers. The “library” is a mostly empty room with a few boxes of donated books, most of which are old, in bad condition, and totally irrelevant – one student found a self-help book from the ‘80s for navigating a mid-life crisis.

Josh and his peers focused their Critical Exposure project on getting a real library. They took photos showing their lack of resources and examples of a great library, and presented their images, stories and a plan for a new library to their superintendent and other DCPS officials. They asked the administrators for $2,000 to get started.

They didn’t get $2,000. They got $18,000.

The pride and ownership this accomplishment has given Josh is clear – he’s less shy and his teachers say that he’s become a leader among his peers. He’s even planning to study photography in college.

“I see myself as a role model, not only for my family but for my community. Critical Exposure has contributed to that and helped open my mind to new possibilities for the better, and for the greater good.” – Josh

At Critical Exposure we give youth the tools to be seen and heard. We can’t do it without you. Please consider making a gift today to support students like Josh.

Library

Locked Doors

High school students press GW University for summer housing - and win!

Alison Hanold — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 17:12:37 GMT

Students in the Latin American Youth Center's Upward Bound program used our photography and advocacy training to request summer housing from George Washington University. Upward Bound provides college prep support and training. Students stay in the dorms during the summer program, which costs Upward Bound $15,000 plus food. Students met with Joel Gomez, Interim Associate Dean for Research, and received a commitment for a minimum of $15,000 toward paying for the dorms (which could allow Upward Bound to add more students or college tours to its program), and a promise to arrange meetings within GWU to create a scholarship program for Upward Bound students!

Student Spotlight: Josh

Angela Kleis via Critical Exposure — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 17:21:55 GMT

Below is an article written for DCist that highlights the work done by Critical Exposure with students at the Washington Metropolitan High School and their effort to build a library.

"While textbooks may be the primary instruments used in D.C. classrooms, many school libraries offer resources for students to expand their knowledge beyond core curriculum, explore topics of individual interest and provide exposure to books and computers that may not be available at home. Many students for whom school libraries are accessible and well-stocked may take them for granted, not realizing that for many of their classmates within the city, like those at Washington Metropolitan High School, such resources are simply not available. But some of the students actually care and are demanding more from their school system.

D.C. Met, as it's known to its students, opened in an old middle school building located in Ledroit Park on the Howard University campus in the fall of 2010. With no pre-existing library or funds to establish one, students have not had access to the resources available to students in other schools, including books, study aids, computers or, of course, a librarian. Students like Joshua and his peers understand the role school libraries fill in a well-rounded education, and are determined to influence change and make the library a reality by advocating for policy changes from those in power, believing that DCPS should guarantee that no school be without a functioning library due to lack of funds. They are working very hard to draw attention to the needs of their school and are accomplishing this through photography.

"This is a broken doorknob sitting on a table. It needs to be fixed just like the education system," explains Joshua, a rising senior at Washington Metropolitan High School, who names Gordon Parks, Marion Palfi, and previous Critical Exposure students as photographic influences.

"The doorknob is a symbolic figure of how the library is not in use during the school year. The library and the doorknob are one in the same: dysfunctional. But we can do something about it if we have help from those in power," he says. "We need help to build up our library so that we can have more access to knowledge. Since we didn't have a library this year, students are completely missing out on access to books that everyone else has."

Joshua and students like him have found their voice through Critical Exposure, a nonprofit program that teaches youth to use the power of photography and their own voices to become effective advocates for school reform and social change. Students have the opportunity to speak out about the issues that affect them personally through photographs that document and spotlight their concerns, such as the empty room where unorganized boxes of books are stored on the dusty floor. Across the city, the student-driven campaigns target issues like the quality of school lunch programs, access to arts and after-school programs and the opening of Roosevelt High School's front door, which has been closed for years, limiting students to a back alley entrance.

School library, Photograph by Joshua, Washington Metropolitan High School.

Using photography, the students at D.C. Met invited members of the D.C. Public Schools' Office of Youth Engagement and the Shaw Public Library to a "Library Action Meeting," where they presented photos comparing their books to that of a real public library. The D.C. Public Library responded with a commitment to establish a public library outpost with several hundred books on long-term loan to the school, as well as provide a lunchtime book club for students. Community members have also pledged to help students meet with D.C. Councilmembers, ANC members and other literacy advocates to continue securing the resources they need to have a stocked and staffed library."

- text from DCist article titled "Students Improve Education Infrastructure, One Photo at a Time" by Angela Kleis. http://dcist.com/2011/06/critical_exposure.php

Report from the classroom - Luke C. Moore

Andrew Anastasi — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 15:13:47 GMT

We just completed a semester at the Luke C. Moore Academy, where students learned about the history of documentary photography and its role in social justice campaigns. They developed their skills as photographers, writers, and public speakers, and set about using photos to advocate for improvements to their school.

The students overwhelmingly support the school and the second chance at education that it represents. They also think it can be even better. One student, Tony Cotton, noted that ”the way security guards treated students in the morning reinforces the idea of us feeling like criminals. But we’re not, we’re students trying to get our educations." Nadia Rose found that 2.5 hour classes led students to become distracted, so she suggested a brief, structured break. “I think the students would stay in class if they had a break. They would be refreshed and probably pay better attention.” And Cheval Reid highlighted the need for the school to connect students to opportunities outside of school.

Students worked together to come up with concrete solutions to these challenges and presented their accomplishments to the principal and more than 40 teachers and administrators. Not only were the teachers open to hearing the student's suggestions, they gave the presentation a standing ovation! The student's efforts are already making a difference:

Students are currently meeting with security guards to ask for consistent standards and mutual respect, and a copy of the uniform policy has been posted on the front door.
The school is looking at ways to highlight more opportunities for students outside of school.
Students are collecting signatures from others who support the class break and will be meeting with the Student Government Association to plan their next steps.

Luke C. Moore students present their photos and ideas about improving their school to the faculty and school administration.

Report from the classroom - Caesar Chavez Public Policy Middle School

Alison Hanold — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 14:57:50 GMT

We are about halfway through our semester at Cesar Chavez Public Policy Middle School (Parkside Campus). Students have completed two assignments for our class -- the first, an investigation of 'Who Am I?', prompted some really stunning photographs. The second project was assigned after our introduction to advocacy. Students were sent home with their cameras and told to choose one specific aspect of their lives that they wanted to change and to do a photo story arguing for that change. One particular student, Shania Atkinson, completed a story on trash in her neighborhood. She took some very well composed images illustrating the littering issues in her community. These images were very powerful in representing the large amount of trash in her community and also showed us that she was really beginning to understand how to tell a story about specific issues through her photography.

On Friday, we will be taking six of our most promising students to the Chavez High School to attend a dropout summit. Our middle school students will not only be introduced to the issues surrounding the dropout crisis, but they will also have the opportunity to photograph the event, furthering their understanding of incorporating education policies and social change into their photography.

All of our students at Chavez have shown incredible dedication and attention in our classes. The students are very well behaved, engaged and open with us.

Critical Exposure: Summer Programs

Claire Allen — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:30:13 GMT

"Teacher," by Bethlehem

Critical Exposure is wrapping up intensive summer workshop series at the Higher Achievement Program and at Martha’s Table in Washington, DC.

At the Higher Achievement Program (HAP), held at a school in DC’s Brightwood neighborhood, middle school youth have been learning about photography and advocacy four days a week. The students’ most recent assignment—to capture the essence of their education in photos and writing—resulted in interesting images that utilize the principles of photography taught in class (including line, angle, composition, and framing) and impromptu poems and stories about school.

One student, 11-year-old Bethlehem, shot the first two images below to depict her education. “In this photography class I have been taught things that I didn’t know, and it helped me a lot,” writes Bethlehem. “I learned about angles. I used to take my pictures straight, but now this class has taught me how to take pictures from different angles. I learned about composition. Since then I took photos thinking about composition and drawing attention to the subject. I learned a lot from this class and made my photos more interesting.” Bethlehem composed the following poem to accompany her photographs:

Education, Education, Education Education is reading Education is learning Education is writing Education is listening Education is everything Education is sometimes boring Education is tiring Education is discovering Education is speaking Education is everything That’s what education is to me

Bethlehem’s classmate, Erica, shot the third photograph below, of tutors available to students in the HAP program. “Some students work together,” she wrote in a caption for the image. In education, “Extra help never hurts.”

"Student," by Bethlehem

"Extra Help Never Hurts," by Erica

Critical Exposure students present their work to 300+ community members, policymakers and educators

Claire Allen — Wed, 12 May 2010 22:01:38 GMT

Devonte speaking. Photo credit: Caroline Space.

In our last project update, we shared photos from Ballou Senior High School in southeast Washington, DC, where students were creating photo essays in response to the question, “What is Education?” Devonte, an 11th grade Ballou student, had photographed his new library as an example of Ballou’s progress toward educational equity. “I took the photo to show how Ballou is restarting the community,” said Devonte of his picture.

Last month, Devonte spoke at the reception for Critical Exposure's annual spring exhibit, “5 Years, 5000 Images: A Celebration & Retrospective,” where over 300 community members, educators, students and stakeholders viewed students' images and stories documenting school and community issues. Devonte’s photograph was one of more than one hundred youth-generated images on the walls of an art gallery in downtown DC. “A lot of kids in my class, at first they were afraid to talk to the teachers and say what they wanted to say,” Devonte told the assembled crowd. “So I have to thank photography and Critical Exposure for helping us talk to the teachers, express our emotions.”

Other Critical Exposure student speakers presented their reflections on their experiences with photography. Michaela, a student at Spingarn STAY Senior High School (a night school for returned dropouts in Washington, DC), said, “Critical Exposure came to our school and they basically wanted us to take pictures of our everyday lives so we could get in touch with people who do not understand what is going on in the DC public schools.” Earlier this spring, Michaela and her classmates had photographed “A Day in the Life of a Night Student,” to better educate the public and policymakers on reasons for dropping out of the school system and motivations for returning. “We took as many pictures as we could, and it was more than just taking pictures for, like, ‘oh, this looks good on Facebook,’” said Michaela. “It’s telling a story, you know what I mean? It’s telling a story. And you have to be able to portray that within [your] pictures.”

See below for images by Michaela and other fabulous Critical Exposure students. And thanks once again for your continued support of Critical Exposure, where youth learn to use the power of photography and their own voices to become effective advocates for school reform and social change.

"A Day in the Life of a Night Student" by Michaela

"Overcrowded Gym" by Dorales (11th grade)

"School Lunch Nutrition" by Kaysha and Elan

Critical Exposure teaches photography classes in southeast DC

Claire Allen — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:32:26 GMT

A new library at Ballou. Taken by Devonte, 11th grade.

Critical Exposure spent the fall and winter teaching two series of photography workshops to students at Martin Luther King Elementary School and Ballou Senior High School, both in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Washington, DC.

At MLK Elementary, students completed photo essays and captions on changes they wished to see in their schools and neighborhoods. "Dear Mayor Fenty," wrote one sixth grader, Kayla, in a letter to accompany her photos of an abandoned library building. "I am afraid we have an issue that is involving our buildings in our community. Our public libraries have writing on the walls but they carry such beautiful books. Imagine how it affects people!"

At Ballou High School, students created photo essays in response to questions such as, "What is Education?" Their photos depicted decrepit school facilities like unused lockers, bathrooms without paper or hot water, broken heating and cooling systems, and fire damage in the school hallways. The students also chose to document their school's assets, including a new library, gym, and football field.

See below for some of our students' work from this fall. Thanks for all your support empowering students to advocate for school reform through documentary photography!

Fire damage at Ballou. Taken by Da'Sha, 11th grade