Camp Enlightenment is a self-sustaining, 12 month, deep immersion photography and videography program headquartered on a 100-acre ranch targeting at-risk, disadvantaged youth (homeless, runaways, foster, and LGBTQ youth).  With daily life skills and ongoing training provided by the world’s elite photographic talent, the program requires the completion of eleven specific elements to “graduate.”

Each project will not only exercise our belief of “paying it forward,” but will require a variety of tools and skills, providing the students with an opportunity for hands-on experience, and allowing them to apply their growing knowledge of film and photography to real-world situations. Through their participation in the following projects, each student will not only strengthen their skills in photography but also their ability to interact with others. Each project will push them to build their self-confidence through service. They will be bringing out the best in themselves and the people they work with throughout each project.

Teach 22

During their time at Camp Enlightenment, each student will be immersed in the concept of “paying it forward.” Teach 22 will allow each student to show other young adults that have experienced similar hardships and struggle with what they have been learning. After studying for a month at Camp Enlightenment, students will mentor two struggling peers each month. They will teach them what they know so far, and help them learn and grow. The students will be expected to include each person they are mentoring in any projects they participate in that month. At the end of each month, however, the role of mentor does not disappear. Students are expected to remain as a role model, cheerleader, and supporter for those that they mentored. At the completion of each month, two new peers will be cycled in for each student to teach.

Frequently Forgotten

Frequently Forgotten provides our students with an opportunity to give back on a local level. Each Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, students will visit their local retirement homes and participate in taking portraits and creating videos that capture what makes the senior citizens residing there unique. The purpose of this project is to honor and commemorate the individual life experiences of each resident, framing them as a bright light in society rather than the dim presence they may have grown to view themselves as, allowing them to feel remembered and celebrated.

It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere

Every day between 5:00 PM and 5:01 PM, students will be expected to take a photo of something interesting around them and upload it. This will not only allow them to frequently incorporate and apply the skills that they are learning, but it will also force them to think on their feet and help them develop their own unique eye when it comes to capturing photos. These photos, once uploaded, will be available for sale. This will help demonstrate to the students which types of photos fare well commercially and which types cater more towards individual creativity. All photographers around the world are invited to participate and upload the photos they captured to the site.

Photo Pen Pal

Photo Pen Pal is a project that will connect our students with disadvantaged youth around the world. Students will communicate through images, depicting where they are and what they’re doing at that moment in their life, allowing them to connect with people in different environments and cultures. This will not only allow them to make connections around the world, but it will widen their worldview. 

Solve For “Why”

Every day, students will spend 20% of their work and study time on developing and executing their own projects. The only requirement for this project is that it somehow attacks an issue that they view as detrimental to the world, fostering Camp Enlightenment’s strong belief in paying it forward. The project may be as small or large as the student desires, and does not have to pertain to photography. This will allow each student to focus on his individual passions and flex his creativity.

The Same Six Minutes

Every day during the same 6 minutes, during the walk to class or anytime that the student decides they will need to do one photo of something they did not see before. This way they are able to see the world in a new way and creatively doing so also helps them solve any “same problem'' by seeing another solution.     

Power Unplugged

Power Unplugged takes some of the most successful and powerful CEOs in the world and depicts them as normal, everyday people. Students will assist in photographing these people going about their day, enjoying their hobbies or completing their more mundane tasks as everyone must do to some extent. Students will also participate in producing a video interview of any CEO the project focuses on.

KickedStarter

KickedStarter is a project intended to bring more laughter into the world. The project is a parody site based on the website Kickstarter. It focuses on creating absurd projects that the world most likely does not need. The purpose of this project is to push the students to analyze society, looking at some of the trivial things people place importance on. It also allows the students to think in work creatively in a way that doesn’t pertain entirely to photography. Most importantly, it will push each student to find the humor in things and bring laughter to those around them. Each student will be expected to come up with a KickedStarter concept and create a short video demonstrating their product in use as well as a website surrounding the idea.

The Muse Project

The Muse Project is one that works towards empowering those who have been broken and abused and puts them in the position of a muse for multiple artists. The muse will go through a healing process, working with top coaches and counselors in order to heal from the inside out. During this time, the artists will create their masterpieces inspired by the muse. The muse will then be able to view themselves through the eyes of others and see the inspiration they were able to bring about. Students are expected to contribute to the development of this project in either its production or final execution.

Phoenix Photo Project

Phoenix Photo Project is a global effort to aid families affected by natural disasters. Throughout this project, students will participate in organizing and capturing family portraits for those who have lost their home to a natural disaster. Families who have to recreate the feeling of a home someplace new will be provided with photos to fill the walls, replacing a part of what was lost. Students are expected to focus on fostering a joyous and creative environment in order to capture the best face of each family.

Big Pink Ribbon

Big Pink Ribbon is an awareness and empowerment project for breast cancer survivors and supporters. Men and women are wrapped in pink ribbon, covered in pink paint, or dressed in pink clothing during the shoot. All around the world, survivors are provided with a complimentary Big Pink Ribbon shoot allowing them to capture their strength, beauty, and hope for the future. Students are expected to participate in one Big Pink Ribbon shoot.

Reach Across America

Reach Across America is a project that can be taken to any military base in the US. This effort brings a beam of light to deployed members of our military.  The children of these heroes are photographed, and the portraits are sent to their parents while they serve our country overseas.