Help me give my students the photographic paper, contact sheet printing frames, and developer chemical so that they can engage fully in creating beautiful photographs in our darkroom from negatives they have exposed.
FULLY FUNDED! Ms. Vaiuso's classroom raised $863
This project is fully funded
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Students
My photography students are a diverse group of inner-city kids at varying levels of artistic experience and academic success. Some of my students have taken all the art classes we offer, while others haven't had an art class since middle school. I have students who receive Special Education services all the way to students who take AP classes- in the same classroom. Many students are from low-income homes that struggle to take care of basic necessities.
Through the darkroom and shooting film, my students are able to create experiences they carry with them long after they leave my classroom.
The dark-room is a calm, special place where students can focus, help each other, and experiment as artists. They are able to share ideas and learn about each other in a way that is very different than in a regular classroom.The self-confidence they get from a beautiful image they made is priceless.
My Project
For students taking art in high school, especially photography, there is an expectation that something will be created. When there are no materials or supplies to create with, only reading and writing assignments to learn the topic and keep busy, students become disengaged with class. Most of these students are searching for an artistic outlet and need to express themselves in a different way. They need to be creative and problem solve without written language but with light and time.
Our low-income, inner-city district is dealing with an incredible financial deficit this year and the was no money left for any art supplies.
My students held on with the few materials I had left over but now there is nothing left. Attendance is dropping, tardiness is constant, and the cell phone use is hard to control. Without hand-on photo projects to work on, they don't see the point.
The experience of darkroom printing is the pinnacle of film photography. There is a personal bond they make with their own work and with each other as a class in a setting unlike anything else they will experience in school. This process builds not only a special skill set but also a confidence in themselves as artists. Working in the darkroom keeps my students interested, busy, and excited to come to class.
These darkroom supplies and photographic paper will allow my students to make beautiful prints from the negatives they made with our 35mm manual SLR cameras. My students did a great job figuring out exposure and point of view. Now they need the paper so that they can see their work in positive form.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Vaiuso and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
