philadelphia, pennsylvania, USA
100CAMERAS X NEW OPTIONS, MORE OPPORTUNITIES
MADE POSSIBLE BY FRAMEBRIDGE
100cameras X NoMo is a part of a 8 class course that is custom designed by 100cameras to equip passionate creatives with the tools to empower youth in a community they care about with the opportunity to learn how to process their stories and create change. Pictured here are 100cameras students during the course. This program was made possible by Framebridge.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
100cameras X NoMo took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA in partnership with New Options More Opportunities (NoMo), a work-force development, community based program. NoMo is a holistic and comprehensive site-based program that provides anti-violence programming that equips participants with increased confidence and improved social/emotional skills that lead to healthier individuals, increased family stability, decreased substance abuse & criminal activities, and a clear path to success.
Since 2010, their goal has been to provide a safe space for children and teens to develop positive life skills and nurture their potential to break the cycle of poverty. “While seeking to equip the at-risk youth of Philadelphia with the skills to be successful and lead productive and profitable lives, NoMo provides a holistic approach to help cultivate and and develop their socio-emotional selves. We are striving to teach our young people to go beyond their environments and upbringings to want more and take advantage of different resources and opportunities available for them,” Chanice Smith, Chief Programming Officer, NoMo.
Through partnerships, NoMo creates a trove of resources that help youth attain their goals, rise above their circumstances, and create pathways and hope for others to witness and be inspired by. Their model achieves this by providing job readiness, financial literacy, various electives (media production, sneaker restoration, carpentry, music engineering and many more), academic tutoring, college and high school prep, counseling, peer mentoring, internships, and trauma informed care group and individual counseling.
“We would like to bring this program to our organization to provide youth with a creative way to express their circumstance and environment. We want them to look at their lives through a different lens, both literally and figuratively. Engaging in such an avenue of expression can help our youth gain a different perspective of their lives and ultimately envision a different picture of themselves and future.”
Instead of getting stuck on problems and problem prevention, NoMo moves to nurturing positive outcomes by focusing on what young people need in order to thrive. From reacting to problems and needs, their approach becomes pro-active, moving from targeting young people either high risk or gifted to planning and creating opportunities for all young people. Instead of looking at young people as recipients of services and programs, they relate to young people as resources - as partners who can make valuable contributions in planning and implementing activities. This also means they are moving from programs to a more community wide network of learning opportunities, interactions, and activities.
“I will admit that at the beginning of the course I heard some students say, “Why is my story/experience important?” while filling out the intro survey. But by the end, things changed.
There was a moment during Map My Story where students were sharing some difficult moments in their life, such as losing a loved one or punishment from a parent. Where I witnessed students recognizing that their experience was similar to a classmate, and they were able to bond and feel camaraderie. During Portraits, it was very interesting to hear what students would title their pictures.
I was personally taken aback by how introspective these high schoolers were. By the end of the course, students were so excited to shout out and take credit for which photos they had taken. I heard more than one student say they were going to take their camera with them everywhere after graduation.”
MEET THE STUDENTS
“It’s not just about taking pictures. It’s about expressing yourself and showing love inside your pictures.
I want the world to know just because the community doesn’t show everything that we have to offer doesn’t mean...don’t judge a book by its cover. Cause we have so much more to give to the community than just what you see us as. ”
ABOUT THE PROGRAM LEADER
Jessica Elayna Poehlman. A former employee of The NOMO Foundation. Although she doesn’t have any formal teaching or photography experience, she happily accepted the chance to teach because it meant more one on one time getting to know the students. It also allowed her the opportunity to experience life as a teacher, which is something that has always intrigued her. To say it was a successful first time for Ms. Jessica is an understatement!
STUDENT IMAGE GALLERY
“I describe the program experience as really amazing because of what they’re doing not just for the kids, but what they’re doing just to improve our learning experience. And that’s really amazing because I’ve never received anything like it, and I’ve never really experienced anything like it.”
“One thing that I did learn about myself is that before I started, I didn’t really like taking pictures. But once I started, I feel like I gained self productivity for myself. When I used to take pictures, I disliked it. So I always tried to avoid it. But now that I’m in this program, I feel good around the people that I know and the cameras and all this uplifts me basically. ”
Follow us on social media to see images from the field as captured by the 100cameras X NoMo team and the student photographers. Thank you to Framebridge for making this program possible!