Summer Youth Photo Programs: NYC + Mexico

We're living in an era where taking a photo with a cellphone is almost an instinct in kids. We want to change that, and help young people open a new realm of possibilities in how they share their story.

Back to the Lab  and Direct Impact Coalition invites you to support our free photography workshops for youth in underserved communities in Brooklyn (Sunset Park), Queens (Long Island City), and the indigenous communities of the Sierra Mixe, Oaxaca, Mexico (Tamazulapam).

In our issues-based programming, our 9th and 10th-grade students explore how to use photography as a means of expression and a tool for documenting their personal and community story. We’ll cover both the technical aspects of photography, and delve into the concepts of storytelling and photography language.

We’re excited to have guest photographers join us at each class; they will share niche knowledge and experience, and encourage our students to prepare their own personal issues-based documentary photo project to be presented at the workshop finale.



A big part of our programs will be uncovering leadership ability in our young people, and helping guide their community relationship building. These neighborhoods and towns are theirs, so we want them to feel their rightful ownership in their own communities.

With the success of our first installment of this programming in Mexico in 2018 , we’re ready to offer similar opportunities in Queens and Brooklyn, as well as provide continuous funding for our colleagues in Oaxaca’s Sierra Mixe.



Alternatively, we’re also welcoming in-kind donations, including digital cameras, memory cards, printing credits, and mattes and frames. Reach out if you can help! Either way, we hope you can help spread the word about Back to the Lab’s Youth Photo Programs.