Northern Forest Explorers( http://www.northernforestexplorers.org/) is all about taking 10-14 year olds and having them explore their back yard by going on canoe trips – learning about the environment around them.  The program is geared toward the children living in the northern most regions of Vermont, NH and Maine.  Those kids really don’t’ get out and explore their rivers, hike their mountains or understand how beautiful their world is.  The organization takes 12 kids per trip and do 12 trips per year using local outfitters. 

 

Once those kids age out of that program there is another outreach program in Maine.  This is the program that I will volunteering for the first week of August.  

My goal is to introduce photography to them – give them a chance to see another way to look at the world.   All of these kids are in this program on a scholarship basis.   This is an outreach program of having rural kids (age 12-15) from northern Maine (Rangeley Lakes region) and coastal Maine kids switch locations.  These rural kids have never been to the coast and the coastal kids have never been to the northern interior of Maine.  I will start my journey on an island off the coast of Portland Maine and end my trip near Rangeley, Maine.  My purpose will be twofold: 

1.  to document the kids in their new environment

2.  to let the kids use cameras – take photos of themselves, their new friends, the new environment they are exploring and hopefully spark some interest in how to see the world through a lens

 

This is what I am looking for:

1.  I am looking for 12 donated point and shoot cameras for this organization. 

2.  I need some help making sure they all work, I have SD cards, new batteries etc.

3.  Once I return, I will be looking for help in printing out their images and mailing them to them.   I can only imagine the look on their faces when they receive their images in the mail.  This does so much for each child – it’s fun, they are learning about photography and their world around them and when you take a photo and you see it printed – it boosts your self esteem.   This is the perfect age to spark an interest in photography.  I would prefer not to use disposable cameras, but that is an option if I can’t find 12 other donated cameras. 

 

Lisa