Picturing a better world for at-risk teens

By Brian Schaeperkoetter
The Portland Upside
April 2010

Focus on Youth encourages students to find beauty in a world that hasn’t always treated them kind. Pictured above are Focus on Youth students from the Portland International Community School.

In Portland we pride ourselves on the culture of creativity that defines and unites us. Thanks to the inspiration of Donna Lee Holmes and the Focus on Youth program, even our city’s most at-risk population has the chance to share their talents, express their creativity and be successful.

Focus on Youth is a nonprofit organization that works to keep inner-city teens on the path to graduation by using photography and mentoring to inspire them to achieve academic success. The program develops not only photographic skills and creativity, but also encourages students to focus on goal setting, personal responsibility and involvement within their community.

“The difference in the kids is phenomenal,” says Donna Lee, who founded the program in 2003.

“They’re excited about learning digital photography and computer software programs. They are thrilled to be going on location shoots with the mentors and exploring places they have never been before. They can’t wait to get to the studio and look at the photographs they have taken. When you give them a camera, they start seeing beauty they never saw before.”

Donna Lee pairs each student with a professional photographer who mentors, coaches, encourages and instructs. Schools, agencies and other nonprofits refer the students, ages 14 to 20 years old. They come from backgrounds that are culturally and ethnically diverse, economically disadvantaged and socially difficult. Many are recent immigrants who face hardships including poverty, limited English skills, racism and homophobia.

“In the process of learning photography,” says Donna Lee, “they not only see the world differently, they begin to see themselves differently, and that is a very positive thing.”

Through Focus on Youth, students learn the patience and self-discipline that photography demands, the same skills that help them in life.

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To find out more about Focus on Youth, visit focusonyouth.org or call 503-341-6878.

Focus on Youth will hold its first annual art auction on May 1, 2010 at the Pacific Northwest College of Art. The funds raised will help provide scholarships for at-risk, low-income students to take photography classes for free. Details are available on their website.