Causes:
Arts & Culture,
Children & Youth,
Job Training,
Photography,
Visual Arts,
Youth Development Programs
Mission: NYC Salt is a nonprofit visual arts program committed to servingsocio-economically disadvantaged inner-city teenagers by offering after-schoolclasses in photography and new media in New York City. The mission of theprogram is threefold; to engage teenagers through professionally led instruction in thearts and digital technology, to inspire teenagers by introducing students to the professionalworld outside their neighborhoods, and to empower teenagers with opportunities to achieve higher education and stable careers.
The vision of NYC Salt is to address the problem of poverty by rebuilding the social capitalof inner-city neighborhoods, - starting with the youth. Too many teenagers areleft to their own devices after school and are not engaged in productive andsuccess building activities. By providing new media classes, NYC Salt teaches students about visual communication, develops creative and executive skills,provides mentors for each student, reinforces education, builds self-esteem,and introduces teenagers to the careers available in the creative industry inNYC. By showing kids who have a high risk of gang involvement and substanceabuse that there is more to life than what their surroundings offer, they willbegin to want more and work towards achieving it.
Target demographics: Under-served teenagers in New York City ages 14-19
Direct beneficiaries per year: 15-50
Geographic areas served: New York City
Programs: NYCSALT offers a photography class to inner city teenagers once a week for three hours after school. The class is led by professional New York City based photographers.
Weekly class structure will consist of these components:
• connection, catching up with teachers and peers as well as connecting your work to the computer (first 15 minutes of class.)
• review & critique of concepts and photographs
• journaling, free writing about your life
• teaching techniques for the next weeks assignment. Introduction to a new concept.
• inspiration, looking at visual content, artwork, exposing students to the work of master photographers.
• workshop, hands on time with cameras and studio equipment
• assignment, giving students a shooting assignment to apply what was taught in class
