YOUTH IN FOCUS BLOG

Meet Teaching Artist, Dene!

We are teaching photography, but our youth are learning so much more. They're learning who they are, how to be, and how to share their ideas and values with the world. And our Teaching Artists guide them along the way, helping them develop confidence and Dream BIG!

Meet Teaching Artist, Ettie!

The youth in our programs are sharing their stories and dreams with the world through their photographs. And our Teaching Artists guide them along the way, helping them develop confidence and Dream BIG!

Meet Teaching Artist, Chloe!

Each year, we like to highlight members of our staff and share how they personally connect to Youth in Focus during our GiveBIG campaign!

New Staff & Board

We've still got good news rolling in! Not only have we given our website and branding a new look, but we've also grown our team! We are excited to introduce our new folks, who will continue to uplift our mission of equipping youth to share their ideas and values with the world through photography and art.

New Website And New Ways To Connect With Youth In Focus!

We’re back with more new reveals! After months of planning and editing, we are thrilled to unveil our new website! It’s fresh and creative, like the youth who helped us with our new branding. And it’s chock full of new ways for us to share our mission and celebrate our young artists publicly!

New Look, New Vision, New Values!

It’s time for our next big update! Last week we shared highlights from the last year. Did you notice our New Look, New Mission, New Vision, and New Values? Well, here they are!

2022 Impact Report

We know we've been quiet for a while, but we've been working on big things behind the scene! Over the next few weeks, we'll share lots of new organizational updates. But first, we want to shine a light on all the things YOU helped us accomplish over the past year.

Summer Camp Registration

Summer Camp registration is now live!

Meet YiF Student, Paloma!

As we enter the season of giving and gratefulness, we are so thankful that you have supported our students and programming!

Meet YiF Student, Evan!

Our students' experience is the primary focus of our organization. Your support has provided incredible opportunities beyond learning about photography that will shape their lives for many years to come.

Meet CCC Student, Julie!

"Youth in Focus is a comfortable, fun environment, and I have made great memories with people here. In addition, I gained skills in adjusting camera settings, and I was inspired by many of the pictures that my peers took."

Meet CCC Student, Eddie!

"To me, photography is about capturing important moments for yourself or for anyone or even just to keep as a locked memory."

Meet CCC Student, Xandra!

Youth in Focus programs give students the community, support, and mentorship they need to ignite (or reignite) their creative spirit. And like Xandra, everyone deserves that opportunity.

Meet Teaching Artist, Marilyn Montufar

“I just remember thinking...that feels like magic!”

Meet Teaching Artist, Juan Alberto Franco Ricardo

“Art, especially photography, helped me come to terms with the complex identity problems teens confront.”

A Chance to Catch Up

Virtual classes, the second session of the CCC, and Summer Camp prep. Not to mention, March was #YouthArtMonth and #Women'sHistoryMonth!

Meet Teaching Artist, Isabel Dietz Hartmann

“...your teens are a special time where you...see yourself as a member of world at large. Having access to the arts helped provide a loose map to this process.”

Black History Month Inspiration Feed

Check out this rolling list of artists, musicians, and nonprofits that are currently serving as inspiration.

Giving Tuesday

Our creative cohort combines photography, and graphic design, with mock interviews, portfolio development and more and is offered completely free of charge.

Mission in Focus Event Recap

Through your tireless efforts and generosity, we were able to raise over $43,000.00 in donations and silent auction bids! Your contributions support our mission to amplify teen voice through photography and arts education.

Congratulations to the Winners of the Exposure Values Photo Contest!

The Summer Launch Program

Over the summer, Youth in Focus partnered with Launch to create a bespoke set of pre-recorded photography courses for their campers in lieu of pre-COVID field trips that had since been cancelled. We worked with Isis, the ELO Director at Launch, to create this program and she wrote a few words about the experience. The included photos are from the youth enrolled in the camp.

A Case of Mistaken Identity Lands Two of our TA's in a Los Angeles Public Health Leader Program

“Thank you both for coming to multiple of our sessions! It was always a treat to listen to the way you can navigate our world and public health issues with an artistic communication lens. I always felt very seen and validated when attending your sessions.”

Not Another Lazy Summer

Although in-person programming came to a grinding halt in March, we didn't let COVID-19 take the strategic steering wheel away from us. By creatively and quickly shifting our programming to a virtual model—both live sessions via Zoom and pre-recorded video sessions, we served 183 youth online during this month alone.

August Virtual Classes and More

Isabel leads our Storytelling session this month adding a strong Portfolio element for photographers who want to start creating a cohesive body of work for themselves or if they plan to do something arts-related for a career.

#GiveBIGWA Bonus! Samantha's high school years

This has been a thrilling run towards our Spring Quarter fundraising challenge with #GiveBIGWA! Our initial goal was $15K and you blew past that marker with your generosity earlier today, (THANK YOU!!!) prompting us to make a stretch goal of $25K.

As a southern kid growing up in Detroit...

The arts provided the only space that allowed me to feel. Those experiences shaped the person I am now, but it would take many more years for this rose to emerge from the concrete.

Paint Shop Pro and an Amy Winehouse Tribute

When I was 12 years old my parents bought me a Dell desktop computer.

A Personal Check-In

In this new world where many of us are working and schooling from home, I find the boundaries increasingly blurred between my professional life and my home life. So, consider this a personal check in, as I hope you and your loved ones are safely able to shelter in place.

A Melted Walkman and a Brave Space

In the winter of 1995 I packed a small bag of clothes, contact solution, a walkman, tapes and my skateboard and I left home. There were multiple factors involved--much of it disputed now if you ask everyone who was there. Regardless, at 16 years old I moved into an anarchist collective in Memphis, Tennessee.

Things are Weird but We Still Make Art

Nothing is quite right, it’s all a little awkward, and the highlight of the week is standing in line at the grocery store. Deep breath in… deep breath out. Things are weird.

It's Been a Rough Couple of Weeks...

Current events have challenged us, but Youth in Focus is rising to that challenge!

Check Out This Podcast

Anibal Ruiz and Samantha Kelly discuss the positive impact of arts in the community.

A Virtual Spring Quarter and a Note from our ED

For 25 years, Youth in Focus has brought youth together to learn, grow, discover what’s important to them, and share their story through photography. Along the way we’ve built an extended family of support from all of you over the years, as well.