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Teaching Photography & Advocacy to D.C. Youth

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Summary

Critical Exposure will provide digital cameras and training to 100 youth in Washington, DC. Help empower students to use their photography and voices to build public support for social change. progress reportread updates from the field

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More Information About this Project

Project Needs and Beneficiaries

Nearly 50% of D.C. students drop out of school, and only 9% go on to graduate from college on time. “To understand and solve this crisis, we need to take a look at the problem through young people’s eyes,” said Heather Rieman, Co-Director of Critical Exposure. Through this project, at-risk students are given cameras, training, and the opportunity to document the causes and consequences of the dropout crisis, identify solutions, and engage the public and policymakers to support those solutions.

Activities

Students attend workshops to learn how to look critically at issues they face and to advocate for solutions. One student, Christina, said, “I learned that the camera gives you power and you need to use it in a way that benefits you and your society.”

Funding Information

Total Funding Received to Date: $16,987
Remaining Goal to be Funded: $33,013
Total Funding Goal: $50,000

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).

Resources

Why this Project is Important

Potential Long Term Impact

This project will enable 100 D.C. youth to develop as artists and community leaders and to strengthen their schools and communities by ensuring that public policies are based on their experiences and input.

Project Message

It feels good to be heard. It feels good to have an outlet and hit the real world with my voice and my experience. Thanks to Critical Exposure, I've been noticed, heard, and made a difference.
- Ian, 11th Grade, Participating student

Who is Running This Project

Contact

Adam Levner
Co-Director
1816 12th St. NW Third Floor
Washington, D.C. 20009
United States
202-745-3745 x20
Email:

Project Sponsor

Adam Levner

Organization

Critical Exposure
1816 12th St NW 3rd Floor
Washington, DC 20009
United States
(202) 745-3745 x20
http://www.criticalexposure.org/

Learn more about Critical Exposure and the project team.

Where this Project is Located

Country

This project is located in United StatesUnited States and can also be found under EducationEducation.

For more information about United States, read the Human Development Report on United States or the Wikipedia entry for United States.

When this Project was Updated

Last Updated

This project was last updated on February 3, 2010.

Date Added to GlobalGiving

This project was added to the GlobalGiving project catalog on May 29, 2009

Latest Update from the Field

Critical Exposure teaches photography classes in southeast DC

By Claire Allen - AmeriCorps VISTA, February 03, 2010 12:33 PM

A new library at Ballou. Taken by Devonte, 11th grade.Fire damage at Ballou. Taken by Da
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!

Pictures:

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