A Photo Finish for Triple Exposure

Triple Exposure classes aim to engage Nabulsi children with their personal identities and community through photography. In their final week of classes, students reviewed their work from the last several weeks, during which they designed and created posters to address critical issues in their community. Students confronted smoking, school conditions, child labor, environmental issues, a lack of space to play, and cramped living conditions in a neighborhood campaign designed to encourage young Nabulsis to be active and productive citizens of Palestine.

With 70% of Palestine’s population under the age of 29, constructive civic participation is vital to the country’s future success. TYO’s Triple Exposure program uses the arts to promote the development of each child’s personal identity as a citizen. Students are using their poster campaign to gain an understanding of their ability to elicit positive change in their neighborhood, Nablus, and Palestine. Spreading awareness adds a new layer of significance and meaning to students’ artwork and provides them with the tools to appreciate their capacity to influence their future.

Perhaps most importantly, this sort of programming reaches out to young girls who might otherwise face barriers to civic participation. Much of Palestine’s youth programming is restricted to males, and those that aren’t are generally only located in major population centers like Ramallah. TYO is unique in its focus on the northern West Bank and its emphasis on mixed gender classes.

By engaging with marginalized children and empowering them to engage others in turn, the Triple Exposure program is helping to cultivate a more positive future for Nabulsi youth and their community.

-Zak

Zak is a Fall 2013 intern at TYO in Nablus