Visual Right Conference - Recap
March 7, 2008
This is a post about the visual rights conference. This is a post about the visual rights conference. This is a post about the visual rights conference. This is a post about the visual rights conference. This is a post about the visual rights conference. This is a post about the visual rights conference. Read more
Program Highlight: Aja
March 7, 2008
In San Diego, The AjA Project runs Journey, an after school participatory photography program for refugee youth. Journey operates in El Cajon and the City Heights area of San Diego, with young people who have been resettled here from Somalia, Sudan, Colombia, Southeast Asia, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Each semester approximately 50 kids participate in the Journey program. They learn how to use cameras, video cameras, computers and other multimedia tools, and are given opportunities to practice their written and oral English through writing assignments and public speaking opportunities. Classes consist of interactive projects and discussions, photo and writing assignments, and field trips that engage refugee youth in critical thinking and self and community exploration. The students learn how to analyze their surroundings through the lens of a camera, create a photography-based story combining their words and images, and develop their computer skills. Through AjA, refugee youth are given the tools not only to express their experiences to a larger audience, but to process, reflect, and begin to understand their experiences of war, resettlement, immigration and assimilation. In addition, AjA is committed to helping create communities where refugees are understood by others. Through exhibitions held around San Diego, we work to provide opportunities for our students to have their stories publicly shared and honored, and to foster dialogue among different sectors of our community
