Pictures of Hope, a nationwide program, is now in Albuquerque helping students in the McKinney-Vento Program, many of them from low-income families, KOB reported.
"The children in the McKinney-Vento Title I Program are going to be able to photograph their dreams," said the founder of the program, photojournalist Linda Solomon. "We have surprised them with cameras."
Solomon started Pictures of Hope to help students focus on their dreams, regardless of their situation in life, the story said.
“Everyone needs to know that their dreams are important, their dreams are respected,” Solomon said. “We show each child and youth selected from their schools or living in homeless shelters how to define their dreams visually through photography."
The program lets students look at life through a different lens, Solomon said.
Students had an opportunity to write down their aspirations. They then took their brand-new cameras and captured their pictures of hope.
“My dream is to be a singer," one student, Daisy, said, “It could be really exciting for me to explore and take some pictures."
The pictures won't stay on the cameras, as their images will be on display at the Albuquerque Museum on July 12.
More information can be found on the organization's website, which says, in part, "We show each child and youth selected from their schools or living in homeless shelters how to define their dreams visually through photography. Pictures of Hope engages leaders of note in every community including mayors, police chiefs, famous journalists, and business leaders to mentor each child we help. Each child’s heartfelt Picture of Hope shows us what they are hoping for in life."
The program has also helped hundreds of families find housing and "aided nearly one dozen students with full-ride college scholarships," the website said.