On Thursday night, I started working with Central Missouri Community Action. For the next eight weeks, I will be teaching photography to a group of kids. I have worked with the shoot-back concept before in Guatemala with a nonprofit organization, Voces De Cambio, and loved it. I've been looking for an opportunity to teach here in Missouri. While I was talking with my professor at the end of last semester, she informed me about the PhotoVoice program here in town. It's a two-fold win for me. One, I get to hand out and teach photography to kids that might not have the opportunity to learn this craft if it wasn't for this program. Plus, I get a course credit out of the way.
Thursday's class started off a bit rocky. Most classes the students were pretty quiet. (Well, with the exception of two students who were already friends.) Once we checked out cameras to the students, they ran around the room visually exploring the place. This class feels like it is going to be a lot of fun.
The first assignment is Basic Needs, when Sarah (the other instructor) and I went around the room asking what the kids thought were their basic needs they shouted out suggestions "Bacon! Water! a House!" Then one of the more shy students quietly said "Family." I was honestly struck by that answer. I don't think I would have thought about that at his age.
I'm positive that this class will produce some insightful photographs. Perhaps when we have our gallery show, the community will have something productive to talk about.
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