"During the map my story activity
where students shared high and low points of their lives, it showed them how important their journeys have been and how to visualize the stories they want to tell.”
— Trixie, Program Educator, Boston, USA
Every Child Deserves More Than Survival
Every child deserves more than survival. They deserve the tools to process their experiences, share their stories, imagine their futures with hope, and contribute to their communities with purpose and care.
At 100cameras, we work with youth ages 10–18 around the world, equipping them with photography and storytelling tools to process their world, connect with others, and thrive.
Our programs turn photography into more than creativity — it becomes a pathway to well-being, resilience, and self-confidence. Through each activity, youth slow down, look more closely, and think more deeply. In a fast-moving digital age, our methodology helps them pause, reflect, and build meaningful connections that strengthen how they see themselves and their communities.
why it matters
Youth today are navigating growing levels of isolation, stress, and uncertainty — often without accessible ways to process what they’re feeling or communicate what they’re experiencing.
Our programs create that space. They help youth translate experiences into images and words that carry meaning, connection, and hope.
When young people feel seen and valued, they engage more deeply with their learning, relationships, and surroundings. They begin to believe that what they have to say is important — and that belief changes everything.
Across every setting, this transformation comes to life in powerful ways
OUR MISSION IN ACTION
100cameras operates across classrooms, school districts, homeschool networks, and community-based organizations worldwide.
Our programs are co-created with local educators and youth leaders, ensuring each experience reflects its environment while maintaining our research-backed foundation. From school districts in the Bronx to community centers in Colombia, every program gives youth the opportunity to document their surroundings, reflect on their emotions, and share stories that strengthen connection and pride.
Each collaboration demonstrates the same truth: when youth have the tools to process their experiences and share their stories, they not only change how they see the world — they also change how the world sees them.
Photo by Naomi (San Jose, USA)
Photo by Emiliana (Caracas, Venezuela)
Photo by Eukierra (Chicago, USA)
RESEARCH BACKED
Our curriculum combines guided lessons, reflection prompts, and storytelling exercises that align with educational standards and proven well-being frameworks.
Independent research conducted with United Nations Institutions, UNIDIR and UNICEF, confirms that students who participate in our methodology show greater optimism about their futures, feel more confident expressing their emotions, and believe they can contribute to their communities.
Pre- and post-course student surveys reinforce these outcomes, showing measurable impact across programs:
93% of students reported greater optimism about their future.
94% believe they can make a difference in their communities.
92% felt more confident expressing their emotions and feelings.
Photo by Kiden (Kajo Keji, South Sudan)
Photo by John (Austin, USA)
Photo by Mahmud (Istanbul, Turkey)
Join the Mission
Whether you’re an educator, family, or funder, you can help us expand access to programs that give youth the space to process, connect, and thrive. Bring 100cameras to your classroom, home, or community — or help make it possible for others to do the same.
“I walked in thinking everything was in black and white. But I walked out seeing that we can all have different emotions and that we can see and interpret differently.
[Shutter Speed] helps because a lot of times I feel like I’m alone so it would help reflect my feelings since a lot of times, I can’t say how I feel. Or when I try to say it, I end up stumbling over my words, or, it just doesn’t sound right.
So if I can take a picture, I don’t have to speak, and you can know what I’m feeling.
”
Photo by Nishanthi (Madurai, India)
Photo by Amaya M. (White Plains, USA)
Photo by Youth Participant (Q’ochamoqo, Peru)
“Students said in the beginning of the program that they ‘don’t have anything to take pictures of,’ and I worry that this may be a manifestation of a deep belief that their experiences and their voices are not valuable.
But, as time has gone on, students have become more comfortable in the validity of their own experiences. Throughout various lessons I have noticed that students seem eager to share their past, in some cases particularly eager to share painful experiences that I wouldn’t normally ask about during class time. Peripherally through sharing name stories and in response to other prompts in the curriculum, students shared about loss, heartbreak, and change they had experienced and were in various stages of healing from.
It seemed almost as though they had been waiting for someone to ask them to share these experiences, and I’m grateful that they were able to share through this program.”
Established in 2009, 100cameras is a registered 501c3 non-profit organization in the United States of America and funded by programming partnerships with schools, districts, and local nonprofits as well as donations from corporations, foundations, and individuals.
Tax ID Number: 26-4692506