PhotoVoice Eagles With Cameras: “Project on Identity” Who Are We? Session One

PhotoVoice Eagles With Cameras: “Project on Identity” Who Are We?

Session One

Wednesday was my first day back in front of a classroom of children since my Japan English teaching days. Honest, I started off a bit rusty, I was nervous, tight and a bit on edge. As the class went on I’d like to think my performance improved. The students were there to learn and have fun and I hope that’s exactly what they received out of it. A HUGE thank you to my assistants, Diana, Jessica, Jackie, Domonique, Mr. Stowell and a parent I never had a chance to introduce myself too.

We started off with an overview of the project as a whole and moved into trying to understand how complex identity can be. It was my goal to inspire interactions and dialogue. There were no wrong answers.

The students really seemed to open up during the slide show session where we discussed perception and what stories photo’s were telling. We used everything from the historical photo of JFK in the drop top, Martin and Malcolm’s first meeting and Ali’s triumphant stance over his opponent. I also found current photo’s as well, LeBron James dunking as the Laker team sits back in awh, pictures from the Egyptian revolution, Malala, and a photo from the typhoon in the Philippines. I was surprised at how engaged they were and while I knew they were smart, but still some of their answers blew me away.

Above all the best part for the students seemed to be going into other classrooms at the school and take pictures of other students hard at work, capturing the identity of the classrooms and the entire school. Hands on for the win!

It is my opinion that when we speak about social change it starts from within with identity. Next week we will examine their photo’s and dig deeper into their personal identities and allow students to write out what they believe represents them, their school, and their community. We will also start thinking about what pictures students will want to take for their projects. Stay tuned.

***CREDIT****
The idea for calling the project Eagles With Camera’s was inspired by Prometheus Brown (Blue Scholars) and Thig Nat’s (The Physics) Rappers W/ Camera’s. Northgate Elementary Eagles.

Domonique Meeks
AmbassadorNique Productions
www.AmbassadorNique.com

PREVIOUSLY:

My PhotoVoice Project at Northgate Elementary (Starting November 13, 2013)

Photo Voice (Innovative Idea’s)

Yesterday two co-workers told me about a cool innovative idea they thought I would be interested in. The project was called Photo Voice and essentially the idea was using technology and camera’s to engage youth in creating, building, and reflecting on community. After a quick google search I found out that Seattles urbanIMPACT was responsible for this project. http://www.urbanimpactseattle.org

Here are the steps of their program:

STEP 1: We ask students to explore 2 questions:

What do they like about their comunity?

What do they dislike about their community?

STEP 2: Students brainstorm over the buildings, people, and objects around their neighborhood and see what emotions they experience from them.

STEP 3: Students are given a disposal camera and take pictures of their neighborhood.

STEP 4: Students choose three photos and with the help of mentors, write an essay expressing their views about the community.

STEP 5: Essays will be compiled and given to civic leaders as the voice and vision of today’s generation.

STEP 6: Photos will be displayed at a gallery and pictures can be purchased with proceeds supporting next year’s Photo Voice.

I would definitely love to do this project sometime in the coming year. I would like to gather the resources, reach out to the right people to make this happen. 

-Domonique Meeks
AmbassadorNique Productions

Connecting the dots (Written by AmbassadorNique)

This feels different… This past weekend while spring cleaning I had an epiphany. Forced to think about life, and wondering what could I be doing better to achieve different results than the ones I was getting, I came up with a solution. The issue reached its peak Friday morning when I received a denial letter from the University of Washington’s iSchool for their mid career program. Obviously I was a bit angry and down, but realistically  I definitely applied knowing I didn’t have the years expiereince they were looking for in a ”mid career” student. This is definitely not to say that I couldn’t hang with any other student in their program intellectually, or that my perspectives and experiences could not provide them with new outlooks. I knew I was taking a shot in the dark, and unfortunately I missed. At that point you can either stop shooting and go home, or you can continue to map out a way to make things happen.

What was my epiphany?

My epiphany was I don’t need anyone to validate my vision or my aspirations. Paying $30K+ for a piece of paper is not a down payment on happiness. In my opinion happiness is something we make happen for ourselves. There are things I could be doing NOW to get to where I ultimately want to be.

Furthermore, I started thinking more about identity, and how I’d been blogging my truths and my life under an alias in order to protect myself from those who wouldn’t agree, or take offense to my truths. Was I afraid to share? What would people think? What if I had gramatical errors? lol

I guess through my journey of finding out who I really am I became someone whom could care less about who found my gramatical mistakes, who was offended, and whom just didn’t agree.

Naturally when I separated my government name from my beliefs, it was for acceptance, thinking about the consequences if someone with power found my blog posts on social justice and discussions on race and fighint against institutional oppression? At the time I was unemployed, I just wanted to be someone a job would hire! Wow, how wack is that? I would be embarrassed  but this is my truth and I KNOW that I am not the only one who was hiding.

Great women and men stand behind their words and their truths. They are students and life long learners able to admit what it is that they do not know. My goal is not to be famous, or even to change the world anymore. Today, my goal is to tell my story, tell my truth, express my opinions and find out more about myself. So today I merge my brand with my name and I stand behind my thoughts, my passions, my words, as a progressive and forward thinker. Yes, I still have a lot to learn, but who doesn’t? I predict I will use language that could offend, I will say things that may be incorrect or inaccurate, but I wont be the first and I am sure I won’t be the last.

Today I know who I am, and I know the power of my words, do you?

-Domonique Meeks
AmbassadorNique Productions

Cory Booker on the Presidency, Social Media, and Jersey

“If politics can’t keep up with this [technology] in many ways its going to be bad for our democracy.”

The city of Newark, New Jersey’s Mayor Corey Booker discussed his personal life, social media, and the brand new world we live in. Very inspiring, however there are still many barriers.

I enjoyed this interview because Cory and the interviewer discussed the connection between social media, technology and social justice and what can be done to help promote it. While I continue to search for the best way to make a difference there is no greater time than the present to be a content creator.

Enjoy,

Domonique Meeks
AmbassadorNique Productions

(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)