By Tess Brown
Horizon Community of Funds
What does the world look like through your lens?
During the school year, more than 100 Northern Kentucky students are loaned a digital camera and asked to explore this question through a 14-week after-school program, at the end of which is a service project supporting a local nonprofit, as well as an exhibition.
i.imagine students also participate in service learning projects to support nonprofits in creative ways, such as a Christmastime photo shoot with Santa Claus with pets to raise money for the greyhound rescue Racing to Retirement.
For many of these youth, traditional school extracurriculars are simply not a good fit.
Instead, they look inward, tapping into their inner selves to tell their story through pictures. Their Friday night football games are replaced by opening receptions for exhibitions, where the students are challenged to present their work to the community. In some instances, it’s a student expressing their vision and the story behind each photo; in others, it’s a student encouraging the viewer to wonder.
In any case, the goal is to get these students to think critically about themselves and what their strengths are. Students learn how to take pride in who they are, where they came from, and their neighborhood.
To get their creative juices flowing, the team at i.imagine takes the students all around the city, visiting sites such as the Contemporary Arts Center, the Cathedral Basilica, and other photogenic spots in the area.
One of the nonprofit’s newer programs brings high school students together from across Northern Kentucky’s river cities.
Once a week, throughout the school year, they will take a deeper dive into photography, graphic design, publishing, business skills, and more.
Additionally, i.imagine hosts a week-long summer camp at NKY MakerSpace that teaches students photography fundamentals.
The legacy of these students is not stats from the field. Their time and talent instead result in public exhibitions in places like the Scripps Center in Cincinnati, restaurant spaces, and a new permanent street-side mural along Covington’s bustling Madison Avenue at Ninth Street. Their legacy is in their art, and in their service to other nonprofit organizations.
Keep your eye on i.imagine as our community’s students tell their own story through the lens. Visit their website and get all their latest news on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Photo by Jayden Wren
