BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, USA
100CAMERAS X HAWTHORNE YOUTH & COMMUNITY CENTER
MADE POSSIBLE BY FRAMEBRIDGE
100cameras X HYCC 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. Pictured here are 100cameras students during the course. This program was made possible by Framebridge.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
100cameras X Hawthorne Youth & Community Center took place in Roxbury, Massachusetts USA in partnership with Hawthorne Youth & Community Center (HYCC), a nonprofit that provides educational, cultural, and recreational programs for local youth and adults. The center recognizes, supports, and celebrates the rich diversity of the community and provides a forum for neighbors to work together to improve the quality of neighborhood life.
“HYCC, located in the Highland Park neighborhood of Roxbury, is a historic African-American community which has grown to include deeply rooted and vibrant LatinX, Asian and Somali immigrant communities, as well as a diverse population of elderly residents, living independently and in senior housing. As the lives of youth continue to shift, in the midst of COVID, many challenges have surfaced. From the immediate urgency associated with protecting themselves (and often intergenerational families) from exposure to taking on part/full-time jobs to help families facing increasing financial pressures in the midst of the pandemic, the young people we serve are confronted with inordinate amounts of pressure to take on adult responsibilities at home. HYCC, through Arts and other skills based learning opportunities, provides a safe space for youth to be themselves, unpack the emotional weight of living through a pandemic and explore who they are,” reflects Tyrome Thomas, HYCC Program Manager.
“Historically, Hawthorne Youth & Community Center has always provided opportunities for local youth to learn about and engage their community through different artistic mediums.
The purpose of hosting this program is to provide an outlet for young people to express themselves, especially as communities are attempting to adjust to the new standards of living, and to learn how to use photography as a means of communicating. A partnership with 100Cameras x Framebridge is an opportunity for youth to reimagine their role as stewards of the community, by encouraging them to capture and share images of what makes a community and how they can be active in shaping their community.”
Since the beginning, the core principles of HYCC have included community engagement and youth education and exposure to the wider world. Having partnered with valued civic and educational institutions, their current programs reflect the needs of youth and others to understand justice in its many forms - social, environmental and educational. The center’s youth participants have demonstrated a unique perspective on the importance of community, and as they strive to become leaders, HYCC commits to helping them get there.
MEET THE STUDENTS
STUDENT IMAGE GALLERY
Follow us on social media to see images from the field as captured by the 100cameras X HYCC team and the student photographers. Thank you to Framebridge for making this program possible!