Chiang Mai, thailand
100CAMERAS X SCHOOLS OF HOPE
100cameras X Schools of Hope 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.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Spearheaded by Program Leader, Becky Lee, a trio of siblings from New Jersey taught photography classes to students from Schools of Hope in Chiang Mai, Thailand through the 100cameras Program.
The mission of Schools of Hope is to provide free education and healthcare to underprivileged children in Thailand, many of whom are displaced from their families. Based in a district outside of Chiang Mai that borders Myanmar, over 60 children ages 7-17 live at the school, making it not just a place for education but also a home in every sense of the word. The students study subjects like math, English, geography, science, and history in addition to local culture and optional vocational training in farming, mechanics, and environmental studies. Some are also in training to become Buddhist monks.
Becky and her siblings organized the 100cameras lessons to serve over 60 students, empowering them to learn how to express their perspectives and to lean into the stories of their past, present, and future as they shared their inspirations to become local farmers, teachers, doctors, mechanics, and singers.
Photo by 100cameras student, Yod Yoom, during 100cameras X Schools of Hope in 2016. Entitled "Move Forward with Your Dreams".
ABOUT THE PROGRAM LEADER
Becky Lee led the program in collaboration with her siblings and co-teachers, Charlotte and Henry. When Charlotte first proposed the program to the director of the school, he was so thrilled noting that arts education In Thailand is often only for rich children. Personally, part of the purpose of leading this program was to remind the students (and themselves) that art and personal expression is for all. Having originally only planned for 20 students, it was an unexpected and exciting surprise when three times as many arrived. All three program leaders quickly revised a game plan to teach the lessons to such a larger group of students, and found great joy in the experience as they led so many kids on a journey of learning new skills and feeling pride and excitement when sharing their stories.
When we asked the students what they wanted to be when they grow up, I was amazed at how many of them wanted to go back to their hometowns to set up libraries, build schools, and take care of their communities. At the end of the classes, we donated all of the digital cameras to the school and hope the students can continue to use photography to explore their surroundings and express themselves as they work toward reaching their goals. -- Becky Lee
Learn more about their experience and how they revised the experience to serve 60 students from Becky's perspective in our featured behind the scenes blog post.
Siblings Becky, Charlotte, and Henry lead 100cameras X Schools of Hope.
STUDENT IMAGE GALLERY
Follow us on social media to see images from the field as captured by Becky and the student photographers.