Grant #298
KIOO New York
June 11, 2018
Picture Equality! By using real cameras (not phones) to photograph the world, girls see the world differently. When they teach those skills to others, boys see girls differently.
Every kid with a phone knows how to take a picture — you just hold the phone out and shoot. But anyone who grew up using real cameras remembers: when you put the viewfinder up to your eye, you shut out the rest of the world. You compose the picture differently, because all you see is what’s in that tiny frame. That’s why KIOO (it means “mirror” in Swahili, pronounced KEE-oh) insists on using real cameras to give girls a new way to look at what’s around them. After the girls get comfortable with the techniques, they learn how to teach others. Soon they’re commanding a room, working together as a team, and expertly sharing their skills.
And here’s the genius part of the plan: when the girls are ready to teach, that’s when boys are invited to join the workshop. The newly-minted instructors impart the knowledge, and the boys get skills as well as a healthy helping of girls’ leadership. This AWB grant will pay for the cameras.
This is all happening at PowerPlayNYC, an organization that keeps girls active and provides a safe space for developing self-confidence and a healthful lifestyle through participation in sports and activities like this, which is awesome on so many levels!