PHOTO PROJECT

This project was carried out in 2004.

 Project Vision: COPO’s Photo Project is a holistic arts and literacy initiative that will directly impact 50 junior high and high school aged youth while confronting the root causes of racism and discrimination. The Photo Project will engage the group of young people in diverse project activities founded on the principals of experiential education incorporating the essential skills of reading and writing with photography. The young people will experience activities that challenge common stereotypes on race, ethnicity, nationality and religion and will use photography to process and document their discoveries about themselves, their families and their fellow New Yorkers. Over the course of six months photography will be taught as an art and an end in itself, as well as a means to illustrate and thus celebrate ethnic, racial and religious diversity.

Activities: Activities are adaptations of curricula developed by The Southern Poverty Law Center’s “Teaching Tolerance” series, Media Awareness Network, International Center of Photography and The Discovery Channel. Participants will have opportunities to make new discoveries about their world during Photo Expeditions (see reverse) which are exciting guided tours of some of New York’s rich cultural neighborhoods and natural landscapes in and around New York City. The culminating activity will be a public display of photographs in September in commemoration of the events of 9/11/01.

 All participants will have access to cameras, film and developing free of charge.

To learn about the results contact the Director of Programs at COPO.