Photo by Phil Borges
This blog is about a moving week shared between a group of kids in Santiago Atitlan and volunteers who came together to give voice to the kids' passions. The ease and sincerity with which these kids were able to talk about their core issues is amazing. In one week they moved from agreeing among themselves on the most pressing issues to showing a short video expressing their vision for themselves and the community in which they want to live.
Or, in Geoff's worlds, it is SURVIVOR meets THE APPRENTICE meets LOST meets PROJECT GREENLIGHT.
The program was run by Seattle-based Bridges to Understanding and Guatemala-based Fotokids.
This blog tracks the events of the week and will serve as a way for the groups to stay connected.
The idea of a team of seven adults and an equal number of Guatemalan kids producing a short video seemed straight forward. The reality of communicating with limited language, learning new roles, building a team, and getting stuff done in Guatemala made for an intense, enlightening, and entertaining week.
The mentors included several professional photographers, educators, heads of advertising agencies, teachers, teenagers, social service experts, and retirees.
The kids came from Santiago Atitlan, a Mayan town on the shores of a stunning lake. They were all energetic, engaged and eager to learn despite coming from some very tough conditions.
To get a sense of how the week flowed you may be better off starting at the bottom and working your way up.
You can also click on the posts or "categories" on the right side of the page.
Enjoy and we look forward to your questions.
Recent Comments