El Nido Family Centers
El Nido Family Centers empowers families in low-income communities of Los Angeles to break the cycle of poverty, child abuse, violence, academic failure and teen pregnancy through educational, youth development, health and therapeutic services. A WHY grant of $13,060.00 will provide 12 Nikon cameras, 2 telephoto and wide angle lenses, filters, 2 laptops with software, studio light kit, and backdrop support kit to bring their photography classes to the next level. Approximately 60-100 children, ages 13-19 in their Gang Reduction and Youth Development program in Pacoima will attend classes after school and participate in field trips on weekends and holidays with professional photographers, who have been teaching the class since 2011. El Nido will be able to expand the photography program so more kids learn skills for the future, find a creative outlet that expands their world view, promotes self discovery, and validates their subjective experience. Looking through the viewfinder on field trips to natural and cultural sites and participating in art exhibits of their own works, these disadvantaged kids, who rarely leave their immediate neighborhoods, will broaden their horizons.