Inside Out Project Mountainside Secondary: own your journey

On September 30, 2014, I began my collaboration with Ian Powell at Mountainside Secondary on the INSIDE OUT PROJECT- OWN YOUR JOURNEY, inspired by my hero JR:

1798124_10205124402211845_4636237371540694077_n — My portrait of JR, China Marker on Newsprint, pasted in Gastown in 2014

MOUNTAINSIDE SECONDARY: Inside Out Project: Own Your Journey

Youth-run initiative using the vehicle of portrait photography and street art to learn life and transferable skills while developing self-empowerment, peer to peer interaction and community connections.

THEMES: Connection and Empowerment

As they work through the curriculum, the students gain valuable life and transferable skills.

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We use TED TALKS to inspire and to induce dialogue and self-reflection around the theme.

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Screen shot 2014-10-10 at 10.03.20 PM — Student journal entry

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When you try to be yourself there will be people who will put you down. You grow up looking up to people and not knowing who you are and being told what to do and what not to do. We all deal with pain in different ways- some do it in a sad way. Having to live in a world where judging a person we don’t even know is a good way to make yourself feel better, or even judging a person makes ‘cool.’ But in the end we are all on this earth for a reason ans we should all love ourselves the way we are and respect all of our good qualities and get rid of all the negative, cruelty thoughts. – student journal entry

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Our unique angle is that this is a youth run project: by addressing their own vulnerability as they connect wtih people/community through portrait photography, the youth feel empowered— and, in turn— empower the subject to feel comfortable being vulnerable in front of the camera!

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Behind-the-scenes documentary by Parmida Afsahi:

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The curriculum includes photography, rubrics, journaling, mindmapping, project planning, visual art, wheatpasting, discussions, field trips, group work and self-directed studies from animation to community projects.

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The project continues until the end of April.

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The plan is for the project to culminate in a large outdoor installation in the Spring.