(TOP) Police Activities League (PAL) officer Jennifer Sekera helps PAL members Yaser Garmakani, 14, (center) and Marvin Rodriguez, 17, write photo captions during Santa Monica Human Relations Council's 'Kids with Cameras' writing workshop on Tuesday, August 15, 2009, at PAL. (CENTER)  PAL members Gaby Martinez, 13, (left) Rachel Tello, 13, (center) and Brianda Maldonado, 16, (right)  write photo captions during the writing workshop on Tuesday. The students photos will be featured at Kids With Cameras' Community Art Show at McKinley Elementary School on Saturday, October 3.

KIDS WITH CAMERAS – An Exhibition of Photos and Community Dialogue

’Kids with cameras’, a program launched by the Santa Monica Bay Human Relations Council in May 2009 involving mid-city youth, will culminate in a photo exhibition and community conversation at McKinley School on Saturday, October 3 2009.

With the goal of reviving the Mid-City Neighborhood group, the only one of six original neighborhood groups in Santa Monica that has been dormant since 2004, the project was designed to create an awareness of civic responsibility among mid-city youth by encouraging them to explore their community and document their views through the lens of a camera.

The participating youth recruited from local non-profit agencies (e.g. the Police Activities League) met once a week for eight weeks to take pictures and share their perspectives on their neighborhood. They were supervised by City staff members Eula Fritz and PAL officers and coordinated by Fabian Lewkowicz, a professional photo journalist who also played the role of a mentor. Lewkowicz led  fifteen youths in a photo essay project focusing on the Mid-City Neighborhood, using photojournalistic style. At the finale on October 3, the youth will exhibit their work and share their narratives with the community at large. The community photo exhibit is being curated by Lewkowicz.

The Santa Monica Bay Human Relations Council, a partnership of local community organizations, individuals, institutions and businesses, endeavors to improve human relations and advocates a socially just community through its various projects, i.e. community dialogues, Literature and Arts and Community Heroes Programs. The Chief of the Santa Monica Fire Department Jim Hone is the current Chairperson of HRC and Tim Jackman,  Chief of Police, is the Chair of the Dialogue committee, coordinators of the Kids with Cameras project.