100cameras Chosen to Share in $1 Million Grant from Creative Visions
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NY-Based Peacebuilding Organization 100cameras Chosen to Share in $1 Million Grant from Creative Visions
100cameras is teaching photography to 100 youth from low-income, under-resourced communities in four states to encourage self-expression and community connection
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – Creative Visions has chosen 100cameras to receive a grant to support the expansion of their peacebuilding initiatives as a part of the Students Rebuild Spark Peace Project—a global movement that invites young people everywhere to use their power and creativity to build a more peaceful world.
Students Rebuild engages young people to explore peace within themselves, with others, and around the world, then express their vision through the creative medium of their choice: visual or literary art, music, film, or even cutting-edge STEM projects. Each act of creativity or student engaged sparks a $5 donation from Creative Visions—with support from the Bezos Family Foundation—for the seven global peacebuilding organizations, up to $1 million.
“When we look at the world today, it can be easy to feel hopeless, but young people show us, time and again, not to give up,” said Students Rebuild Lead Sarah Fanslau. “Through creativity, young people from LA to Lahore can use their voices to bring peace to themselves, others, and their communities.”
While young creative changemakers are empowered to express their ideas of peace through this program, impact partners like 100cameras are on the ground in real time, actively working to build peace and engage underrepresented youth.
100cameras, a New York-based international organization, believes that every kid—no matter their background or circumstances—deserves the right to process their experiences, understand their feelings, connect with their surroundings, and tell their own story. Through photography, storytelling, and self-expression, youth worldwide learn to process and tell the stories of their past, present, and future without judgment or expectations. 100cameras has deep roots in peacebuilding, having partnered with UN institutions including UNIDIR and UNICEF, as well as with other international NGOs on global peacebuilding initiatives.
The Spark Peace Project grant from Creative Visions will support the “100cameras: Through Their Lens” project, where 100cameras are teaching photography to 100 youth from low-income, under-resourced communities across four cohorts in Tennessee, Florida, Illinois, and Nebraska to encourage self-expression and connection to their communities.
“We’re proud to partner with Creative Visions on this project, which equips youth with tools to use visual storytelling for self-expression and community connection,” said 100cameras co-founder and CEO Angela Popplewell. “At a time when anxiety and feelings of isolation are on the rise, photography becomes a language for youth when words alone are not enough. In a world often divided, this opportunity allows young voices to process their experiences, be seen and heard, and ultimately lead their generation with empathy, creativity, and their vision for a more peaceful future.”
100cameras joins six other global organizations including Ceeds of Peace, Kids for Peace, CARE, Choose Love, Green Horizon Ventures, and MUSÉ to receive grants through the Spark Peace Project. This year, youth participants will also have the opportunity at the end of the school year to vote and decide which of these organizations will receive an additional $50,000 to further their peace work.
To learn more or sign up for the Spark Peace Project, visit www.studentsrebuild.org/spark-peace.
ABOUT STUDENTS REBUILD
Students Rebuild is a Creative Visions program. Created in January 2010 by the Bezos Family Foundation in response to the devastating Haiti earthquake, Students Rebuild has mobilized more than 1.3 million participants in 102 countries and all 50 states, and raised more than $12.5 million in matching funds. Annual Project funds have worked towards rebuilding schools in Haiti, bringing awareness to humanitarian crises in Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, helping Syrian youth from conflict areas recover from crisis, and supporting empowerment opportunities for youth affected by hunger and food insecurity. Find more at www.studentsrebuild.org and @StudentsRebuild.
ABOUT CREATIVE VISIONS
Creative Visions empowers artists, filmmakers, musicians and other impact media makers to raise awareness of critical issues and drive positive change through storytelling – one of our most powerful tools for creating a more just, caring and sustainable world. A nonprofit organization and United Nations NGO, Creative Visions’ Impact Education programs support youth, educators and changemakers to understand how to use media, arts and technology to take creative action about the things they care about. For more information: www.creativevisions.org.
ABOUT 100CAMERAS
100cameras engages youth through photography and storytelling. Our innovative programs and methodology foster emotional intelligence, resilience, and community engagement. We provide customizable curricula that enhance self-expression and leadership skills, partnering with local organizations to maximize our impact. Serving youth aged 10-18 in communities in the USA and worldwide, our programs offer creative outlets to help young people navigate anxiety, isolation, and uncertainty, enabling them to voice their unique experiences and connect more deeply with their peers and communities. For more information, visit www.100cameras.org.
For media inquiries, please contact:
CREATIVE VISIONS
Sofia de la Vega
(818) 634-7805
100CAMERAS
Angela Popplewell
(850) 443-8013