A Phoenix-based nonprofit that uses photography to help at-risk kids has partnered with the Arizona Science Center in Phoenix on a new exhibit.
On Friday, April 7, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Kids in Focus, founded by Arizona Highways contributor Karen Shell, will unveil 60 photos made by this year's class of 30 at-risk youths at the Science Center's CREATE space (600 E. Washington Street).
The photographs are the culmination of an eight-week program for the students, who were mentored by 14 professional photographers during classroom lessons and photo shoots at locations around the Phoenix area. The students attend Children First Leadership Academy and the Bob & Renee Parsons Branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Phoenix.
In a news release, Shell says learning photography skills helps the students, who all live at or below the poverty line, to see beyond their circumstances. "The kids are empowered to explore, to trust and to see the world in a new light," she says. "The kids learn to see the world differently, changing their perspectives about themselves and their environment."
The exhibit will include the students' biographies, their photos and the accompanying captions they wrote. They'll be on display through June 11 at the Science Center. Images by the students will also be displayed at the Children's Museum of Phoenix in June and July, at the state Capitol from March through May, at Sky Harbor International Airport from March through September, and at Burton Barr Central Library in September and October.
For more information about Kids in Focus, visit www.kidsinfocus.org.