First Exposures

Homeless and low-income youth have a high risk of failure at school and involvement in substance abuse, crime, violence, and unemployment. First Exposures has helped youth achieve real changes in their lives. During their participation in the program, all First Exposures students have remained in school without dropping out. All participants either maintained or improved their grades, and 100% of high-school-aged students expressed interest in attending college. After participating in First Exposures, many youth have secured jobs, pursued further education in the arts or enrolled in college. These achievements are especially significant because this population generally has a large dropout rate in high school. The benefits of this program extend beyond the individual participants in First Exposures. Youth are encouraged to give back to their communities through exhibiting their work in public venues. These displays reach a large audience to encourage greater community awareness about the perspectives of low-income youth. The exhibits also enable students to express their viewpoints and take pride in their accomplishments. This book will take this concept even further by exposing their work to a much larger audience. The general theme of the book is about Relationships. The 16 students of the 05/06 class create the primary section of this book. Each student has created a chapter, or section, on the theme of relationships. The rest of the book documents the 13-year history of First Exposures using archival images and text from past & current mentors and students. There are several essays, including a foreword by best selling author Dave Eggers. Relationships define mentoring. In First Exposures we use our relationship with photography to foster the relationship between mentor and student. When we talk about relationships we are thinking beyond the obvious definition of a familial or love relationship. We look at how we interact with others, with objects, places, spirituality and art. If you examine a relationship closely you will discover that just about everything that crosses our daily paths creates a relationship of some sort. Perhaps the most important relationships we have are with our families and loved ones. These are the basis of who we are. While these relationships may not always be positive, they exist and help to form who we are, or as is often the case "who we aren’t. "First Exposures shows how a small group of dedicated people can change how we look at our world." -- Jona Frank, Photographer, and former First Exposures mentor