Vermont Center for
Afterschool Excellence
Vermont Spotlight Program:
The Y Afterschool Care at Underhill
Program: Photography in Action
Age Group: Grades K—4
Program Duration: 3 weeks
Program Frequency: 5 times/ week
Program Director: John Bucher
Activity Assistant: Joan Bister
Program Description
The Photography in Action program provides elementary-aged students an opportunity to develop skills in photography through a hands-on, engaging approach that allows students a significant level of independence and
provides a deep and rich experience into photography. The emphasis of this program is on giving students an
opportunity to explore camera use, but the success of the program can be attributed to the depth it reaches in
terms of drawing students in through multiple avenues. The history of photography was explored as a starting
point and photo editing software was introduced to students after giving them a chance to handle the cameras.
Photography is an art form not typically introduced to students at the elementary grade levels. Exposing young
students to photography allows them the opportunity to bring a new sense of wonder to familiar surroundings
and slow down to appreciate the beauty around them. These artistic objectives were met by creating an experience that allows for hands-on exploration and couples this with a sense of history and an appreciation for the
full range of digital photography, from photo shoots to digital manipulation.
The Y Afterschool Care at Underhill is a program that values bringing art experiences to students and has a
committed director, John Bucher, who has expertise in this area. Art is a central focus of the program in its entirety, and time and attention is given to exposing students to art forms they may not be familiar with or have
significant opportunities to explore. This approach creates enthusiasm in students, energizes program leaders,
and provides fulfilling experiences for all.
Key elements that led to the success
seen within the Photography in Action
program:
♦
An exploration of an art form not typically introduced to young children provided an exciting and new opportunity.
♦
The program drew on the program director’s
expertise in that the director and program
leader has a Master’s in Education in Integrated Arts and is committed to bringing the
arts to the program through diverse program
offerings.
♦
The program provided an experience that explored photography in a comprehensive manner starting with an exploration of the history
of photography and leading to hands-on work
with cameras and photo editing software.
♦
Cooperative skills were gained as students
learned to share limited equipment and work
in pairs.
Program Resources
For programs interested in running a photography program, the following resources are provided as a means for exploring
the history of photography:
George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography and Film — www.eastmanhouse.org
George Eastman was the founder of the Kodak Eastman Company in Rochester, New York and invented roll film,
bringing photography to the mainstream. The George Eastman House has a comprehensive website that includes
an online collection of photographs that document the history of photography.
•
Online Discovery Kits– The kits provide useful resources for those who want to bring the power of photography
to K—12 students. Kits are filled with materials that exemplify key elements of the Museum’s collection and
range from a history of George Eastman to exploring history, architecture, and technology through photography. Kits available at: http://education.eastmanhouse.org/discover/kits/.
Pinhole Cameras
Building and working with pinhole cameras provides students with a hands-on approach to understanding the basics
of photography.
•
How-to guide on building pinhole cameras with household objects:
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/consumer/education/lessonPlans/pinholeCamera/index.shtml
•
Kits for building pinhole cameras:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Create-Your-Own-Pinhole-Camera/John-Evans/e/9781435114302
•
For more lesson plans involving photography, see:
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/consumer/education/lessonPlans/indices/photography.shtml
All photos were captured by students within the Photography
in Action program at the Y Afterschool Care at Underhill.
For more information about the Y Afterschool Care at
Underhill or the Photography in Action program, please
contact:
John Bucher: [email protected]
The Y Afterschool Care at Underhill
is a program within the
Greater Burlington YMCA
266 College Street
Burlington, Vermont 05401
The Vermont Center for Afterschool Excellence is a statewide public‐private partnership dedicated to supporting and
sustaining innovative learning opportunities beyond the school day for all Vermont’s children and youth. The Center’s
activities are directed toward building the capacity and commitment of Vermont communities to increase the quality and
availability of programs during non‐school hours. The Lights! Camera! Learning! project under which the Television Pro‐
duction program video was produced is funded through support from the C.S. Mott Foundation , the Vermont Depart‐
ment of Education, and the Vermont Agency of Human Services—Child Development Division.
For more information about the Vermont Center for Afterschool Excellence, the Lights! Camera! Learning! project, or to
view winning videos, please see the Center’s website: www.vermontafterschool.org.