Teens share their view of the world through popular photo program

Students in 300 Cameras For 300 Kids get a free camera and training on photojournalism.

by Carley Lanich, Mirror Indy
[Originally published October 15, 2024 :: Mirror Indy]

With a camera in hand, high school senior Ne’Hemiah Williams is learning to see the world differently through photography.

But that’s not the only skill he’s gained through 300 Cameras For 300 Kids, a program that provides a Canon EOS R100 mirrorless camera to any Indianapolis area student who completes a six-week training program on photojournalism.

He said he’s learned a lot about networking with other photographers and maintaining relationships with clients.

“It gives a sense of responsibility, obviously, because it’s an expensive piece of equipment, but also it gives a sense of independence,” Williams said. “We now have the ability and opportunity to take pictures professionally and to show other people how we see the world.”

Williams, who is homeschooled, said his mom enrolled him and his two brothers in the program to get the kids out of the house and learn new skills. They are among the first 100 high school students to participate in the Indianapolis program.

Partnering with GANGGANG, the eastside nonprofit The Next Generation Initiative provides the cameras. Students so far come from more than a dozen Indianapolis area schools including Ben Davis, Herron and Warren Central high schools.

The program set an early goal of providing 100 cameras to 100 kids in its first year with plans to do the same in the two years that followed.

Program coordinator Dennis Jarrett said 300 Cameras was so popular in its first year, about 35 students were put on a waitlist.

How to help kids in the program

The program is now raising funds to serve its next 200 kids.

300 Cameras will have a Kicks for Clicks fundraiser to celebrate its first 100 students and raise money for additional training and equipment as the program continues.

Kicks for Clicks

🗓️ 6:30-8:30 p.m. Oct. 17
📍 P30, 3039 N. Post Road
💲 Free; register online

Guests can check out photography produced by students and bid on autographed sneakers benefitting the program. Items up for auction include shoes signed by Colts Tight End Kylen Granson and Lawrence North graduate and No. 1 NBA draft pick Greg Oden.

Food and drinks will be provided. The event will be 6:30-8:30 p.m. Oct. 17 at P30, 3039 N. Post Road. Online registration is required before attending the free event. To register or donate to the program, visit the Kicks For Clicks event page.

How to join 300 Cameras For 300 Kids

The program takes interest from new students on a rolling basis and trains 20 high schoolers at a time.

Jarrett encourages students to put applications in early so his team can help them find a series of trainings that best fit their schedule. To register, visit The Next Generation Initiative’s website.

As for Williams, who graduated the program, he said he’s excited to be taking photos and videos on something other than his cell phone.

The teenager, who also acts, says he’ll carry this new knowledge with him and apply it to filmmaking.

“Having a camera taught me a lot about perspective and what you look at and how someone will see it,” he said. “I want to see if I can put that into my theatrical work in that way, by exploring different perspectives.”

Mirror Indy reporter Carley Lanich covers early childhood and K-12 education. Contact her at carley.lanich@mirrorindy.org or follow her on X @carleylanich.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. This article was originally published by Mirror Indy https://mirrorindy.org/300-cameras-kids-trains-aspiring-indianapolis-photographers/, and is republished through our partnership with Free Press Indiana.