Photography Now!
Photography Now! is returning to the Restorative Justice & Community Empowerment Center with a great new teacher who brings that same great MyKingstonKids energy, and we couldn't be happier to welcome him to the team. Mr. Onaje Benjamin, a Documentary and Street Photographer will now head Photography Now!'s 8-week course. Mr. Benjamin is also an archival Picture Framer with an accomplished career that reflects 30 years of experience in advocacy, activism, crisis intervention, community organizing, counseling, diversity management and culturally competent program development. Some of his accomplishments include...
• Extensive experience in design, delivery, evaluation and facilitation of instructional programs and workshops addressing social justice issues and community empowerment.
• Highly articulate and effective facilitator possessing the ability to communicate and process complex information.
• Ability to work with culturally diverse organizations and communities to initiate dialogues advancing the perspectives and interest of disenfranchised groups.
• Utilization of a multidisciplinary approach to problem solving, strategic planning, organizational development and conflict resolution within a social justice and human rights framework.
• Certified to facilitate cognitive and evidenced-based curricula.
Being part of the solution for at-risk and justice-involved youth is incredibly important to MyKingstonKids, both as a tenet of the organization and to the people behind the organization. Our program to teach photography skills to youth is founded on this principle, and no group is more important than those in the Restorative Justice system. It will empower the participants to look at the world and how it affects themselves, their families and their communities from different angles, as well as give them both artistic and photojournalism skills. Our projected outcome is to provide students with the opportunity to address some of their emotional/problematic behaviors, learn new skills, develop new talents and express their thoughts and ideas by using photography as a therapeutic outlet.
The understanding gained from having the tools to connect different parts of what they see in their lives can only lead to empowerment – the empowerment to be their best selves. Additionally, learning that everywhere they look is a story worth telling will change the way they share the world they live in with the larger community, to effect lasting change, improve their situations, and the situations of those who come after them. We believe that our program will assist in promoting a positive and productive change.
The power that comes from learning these skills will change the way they view the world and their ability to “be the change they want to see.” It will increase self-confidence and seeing the connections will create faith in a positive outcome in all areas of their own lives. As we all know, faith in a positive outcome change everything, rather than the despair of feeling that a positive outcome is at best very unlikely.
MyKingstonKids is truly excited about this opportunity to be part of the process of helping at-risk and justice involved youth find paths that are meaningful not just to themselves, but to all of us.