“My Community Through the Eyes of the Lens” Photography Workshops

Youth & Adult Community Photography and Storytelling Initiative

My Community Through the Eyes of the Lens is a photography, creative-expression, and community-engagement initiative designed for youth and adults. The workshops provide participants with an opportunity to explore, document, and celebrate their community through photography while developing practical creative, communication, and storytelling skills.

The program creates an inclusive environment where young people, parents, families, and adult community members can learn together, share perspectives, and use photography as a tool for self-expression and positive community storytelling.

Participants receive hands-on instruction in basic photography and visual storytelling while learning how to observe their surroundings, identify community strengths, and tell meaningful stories through images.

Workshop Activities

Through hands-on instruction and community-based photography activities, participants will be encouraged to:

Learn foundational photography, composition, and visual storytelling skills.
Explore their neighborhoods and community from a positive and strengths-based perspective.
Develop creativity, confidence, communication, and critical-thinking skills.
Use photography as a tool for self-expression, reflection, and storytelling.
Document positive community assets, family experiences, neighborhood history, and local stories.
Build relationships and share knowledge across generations.
Encourage youth and adults to learn from one another through collaborative activities.
Develop an appreciation for the history, culture, people, and diversity of St. Louis.
Strengthen participants' connection to their community.
Create original photographs that may be displayed through a community exhibition, showcase, or other public presentation.

Educational and Community Impact

My Community Through the Eyes of the Lens provides meaningful educational enrichment outside of the traditional classroom while creating opportunities for adults and youth to learn together.

Photography connects participants to multiple areas of learning, including art, technology, history, writing, communication, media, and career exploration. Participants develop practical skills while learning how visual images can communicate ideas, preserve memories, document community history, and influence how communities are understood.

For youth, the program encourages creativity, confidence, positive self-expression, and exploration of potential careers in photography, media, communications, digital content, and the arts.

For adults, the workshops provide opportunities to develop new creative and technology skills, document family and community history, strengthen social connections, and participate in meaningful lifelong learning.

The intergenerational nature of the program also creates opportunities for parents, caregivers, youth, and community members to participate in a shared experience that strengthens family and community connections.

Connection to CWAH's Mission

The program supports Community Women Against Hardship's commitment to educational enrichment, family engagement, personal development, and community empowerment.

CWAH serves low- to moderate-income individuals and families and seeks to provide accessible opportunities that help participants build skills, confidence, relationships, and pathways toward greater self-sufficiency.

By combining photography instruction, mentorship, community exploration, creative expression, and intergenerational engagement, My Community Through the Eyes of the Lens gives participants a positive platform to tell their own stories and recognize the strengths within their families and communities.

The program reinforces the message that every individual has a story, every family has experiences worth preserving, and every community has assets worth celebrating.

Anticipated Outcomes

CWAH will track participation, engagement, and program activities and may measure:

Number of youth and adults participating in workshops.
Number of workshops and instructional sessions completed.
Number of individual and collaborative photography projects completed.
Demonstrated improvement in basic photography and visual storytelling skills.
Participant-reported increases in creativity, confidence, and self-expression.
Increased awareness and appreciation of local community history and assets.
Development of individual or group photography portfolios.
Intergenerational participation and collaboration.
Participation in a culminating community photography exhibition or showcase.

Community Showcase

A culminating “My Community Through the Eyes of the Lens” Community Photography Showcase may provide participants with an opportunity to display selected photographs and share the stories behind their images with families, community members, partners, and supporters.

The showcase will celebrate participant accomplishments while highlighting the beauty, history, people, resilience, and positive assets of the St. Louis community.

Our Vision

My Community Through the Eyes of the Lens empowers youth and adults to become observers, storytellers, creators, and active participants in their community.