named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Canon Young People Programme (YPP)
Youth photography initiative in Cameroon that trains students in visual storytelling and empowers them to become instructors and mentors
Photography and Computer Literacy Workshops
Hands-on training programs teaching youth photography, digital storytelling, and computer skills in partnership with local organizations in conflict-affected and underserved regions
Shifting Gears Initiative
Outreach program connecting justice-involved youth in New York City to education and employment pathways through mentorship and creative development
activities · 5 groups
What they do
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Educational Technology Access and Support 1 activity
- Equips students and media labs with photography and digital technologySupplies students and learning centers with essential tools including Canon DSLR cameras, editing software, cloud storage, memory cards, computers, and internet access. This includes outfitting media labs in Arbat refugee camp and the Efoulan neighborhood of Yaoundé, as well as providing Wi-Fi and updated equipment to sustain remote and in-person instruction.
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Artist Support Grants 1 activity
- Funds photo training programs for youth through partner organizationsProvides grants to partner organizations to support photography training programs for youth in Jordan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, expanding access to arts education in underserved regions.
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Curated Art Exhibitions and Public Displays 1 activity
- Organizes student exhibitions and public showcases of youth photographyHosts community exhibitions of student work in partnership with cultural institutions such as the French Institute in Goma and galleries in New York City including Benrubi Gallery and Shelter Gallery. These exhibitions provide public platforms for youth voices and have generated over $2,000 in sales for participating students.
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Youth Photography Education 1 activity
- Provides photography and digital literacy training to youth facing adversityOffers year-round photography and digital literacy courses to youth aged 13–24 in high-need communities including the South Bronx, Zaatari Refugee Camp (Jordan), Goma (DRC), Yaoundé (Cameroon), and displacement camps in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, with curricula focused on storytelling, reflection, and social change. Over 1,000 students affected by trauma, poverty, incarceration, war, displacement, or homelessness have participated in these programs.
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Alumni Leadership and Career Support Programs 1 activity
- Supports alumni in professional development and career placementFacilitates career advancement for program graduates by placing them in internships and staff roles with local organizations, supporting placements as staff photographers, communications interns, and journalism roles with major outlets such as The Washington Post and The New York Times. Alumni have also earned scholarships to media schools and participated in high-profile events like Photoville.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$110K
Contributions & grants$106K97%
Program service revenue——
Investment income$6761%
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$107K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits—
Grants paid out$82K
balance sheet
Total assets$70K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$70K
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +24.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
board members · 1
- Andrew Vahab — Trustee
relationships · 37
Who they work with
- Benrubi Gallery Partner — Collaborates with Lens on Life Project, likely in support of photographic arts and exhibitions
- Benrubi Gallery Partner — Hosts student exhibitions
- Boys Hope Girls Hope of NY Partner — Collaborative relationship through shared leadership and programming focus on at-risk youth.
- Boys Hope Girls Hope of New York Partner — Collaborates with Lens on Life Project to support youth development through photography
- Bright Association Partner — Collaborates with Bright Association, a Cameroonian humanitarian organization, to deliver photography and storytelling education to displaced youth in Yaoundé.
- Bright Association Partner — Collaborates with Lens on Life to deliver photography education programs in Cameroon.
- CAMME Partner — Partner organization co-implementing photography and digital literacy programs in Bujumbura for Congolese refugees and host community members.
- CAMME DRC Partner — Hosts the Lens on Life program in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- CAMME DRC Partner — Works with Lens on Life Project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to support youth
- CAMME-USA Partner — Receives grant funding from LENS ON LIFE PROJECT to support photo training for Congolese youth.
- Canon Partner — Collaborates with Lens on Life Project on education and youth photography initiatives
- Canon Partner — Partners with Canon through the Canon Young People Programme and Miraisha Program to provide filmmaking workshops and equipment support for students.
- Canon Young People Programme Partner — Collaborated on a photography program for refugee youth focused on the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
- Canon Young People Programme Partner — Collaborates with Lens on Life to provide photography training for youth in Cameroon and DR Congo.
- Centre d'Éducation aux Médias et à l'Information (EDUK-MEDIA) Partner — Supports student pathways to media education through partnerships with EDUK-MEDIA in Yaoundé, where alumni receive full scholarships for media production training.
- Cohley Partner — Partners with Lens on Life Project, potentially in creative or educational programming
- Eastern Congo Initiative Partner — Partnered to place program graduates in internships as staff photographers in Goma, DRC.
- Fambul Tok Partner — Selected a Lens on Life instructor to teach photography in Sierra Leone as part of a peacebuilding initiative.
- French Institute Partner — Collaborated on student photography exhibitions in Goma, DRC.
- Howard Greenberg Gallery Partner — Site of student visits
- International Center of Photography Partner — Partners with Lens on Life Project to advance youth photography and visual storytelling
- International Center of Photography Partner — Site of student visits and scholarship recipient destination
- Korean Community Services - Korean Community Foundation Partner — Collaborates with Lens on Life Project to support youth in the Korean community
- Kurdistan Save the Children Partner — Partnered to build the media lab in Arbat refugee camp.
- Leonian Foundation Partner — Supports Lens on Life Project’s mission to empower youth through photography
- Light Partner — Partners with Lens on Life Project to support youth through photography and storytelling
- OSF Partner — Supports Lens on Life Project’s global initiatives to empower youth through visual storytelling
- Prison Arts Collective Network — Azadeh Shladovsky serves as an advisory board member, indicating organizational affiliation and shared mission in arts-based rehabilitation.
- Questscope Partner — Collaborates with Lens on Life Project in youth-focused programs, particularly in the Middle East
- Questscope Partner — Partnership to deliver photography and digital literacy programs in Zaatari Refugee Camp.
+ 7 more
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Art-Based Workforce Developmentmethodology: creative-arts_workforce_developmentBy combining photography education with technical training in a professional media lab, youth gain marketable skills and career pathways, because creative workforce development bridges artistic expression with economic opportunity.
- Peer-Led Cascading Mentorship Modelmethodology: cascading_mentorshipBy training former participants to become instructors, the program sustains engagement and deepens impact, because peer-led teaching increases relatability, fosters long-term ownership, and creates pathways for leadership among youth.
- Photography as a Tool for Healing and Narrative Reclamationmethodology: photography-for-healingBy teaching photography and digital literacy, youth process trauma and reclaim control over their personal narratives, because creative expression enables emotional healing and strengthens agency in marginalized communities.
- Project-Based Creative Education for Social Changemethodology: project-based_learningBy integrating photography instruction with project-based learning around global challenges, youth develop skills and drive community dialogue, because anchoring creative work in real-world issues increases relevance, motivation, and civic engagement.