highlights 8 24 25 26 27 - the aja project 8 2010 program report 25 2010 financial highlights 27...

1 Letter from the Executive Director

2 Word from Our Friends

4 10 Year Anniversary Highlights

8 2010 Program Report

25 2010 Financial Highlights

27 Staff and Board of Directors

26 Donors

24 Strategic Vision

cOntEntS

2010 ANNUAL REPORT / 1

As I think of what to write for AjA’s ten year anniversary, I am honestly at a loss for words…and anyone who knows me can tell you, I am never at a loss for words! What I am thinking about most are all the people (students, staff and volunteers) who have come through this amazing agency and left something of themselves behind, a part of them, which has become ingrained in the fabric of AjA’s programs, of AjA’s culture, and AjA’s soul. Can an organization have a soul you ask? I never would have said before, but yes, it can. When I first took over the agency, five years ago, I was amazed at how much the small organization had accomplished. Five years later, I am incredibly proud of how much more we have done! More than anything, I am proud of the values and the spirit of the agency, in its’ ability to innovate, grow and adapt, without ever losing sight of the spirit of what the agency was intended to be: a place where our students can connect to their identities, their voice and their aspirations through critical reflection and examination; a place where staff can express and experiment with their professional and personal growth; and a place where all volunteers, interns and board can grow, learn and participate in creating a richer, more vibrant community. As the leader of AjA, it is my task to always ask the difficult questions: Why is our work important? Why does it matter? What hopes do I have for this agency moving forward? What keeps me motivated? My response: The sum is only as good as it’s parts. Community forms the backdrop for ones self- image and provides the context for self-reflection, roots to grow, and a safe place to dream. Identity is, in large part, shaped by how one envisions themselves as an actor and contributor in relation to a greater whole. Today in San Diego we have an increasingly global community and must cultivate an ethos of tolerance, acceptance and diversity. Our destinies are now intricately linked, and in order to build a strong and successful community, we need to nurture our youth and empower them to make positive choices that will shape and define our collective future.

Sandra AinslieExecutive Director

Letter from the Executive Director

“ The AjA Project is ... an outstanding program that helps youth discover their talents and unleash their imaginations in unique

ways. [These] photographs conveying stories of immigration to America give children a new perspective about other

people’s journeys to find freedom...”

- First Lady Laura Bush, President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities

E veryone associated with The AjA Project believes in the mission of transformation and achievement of social justice for youth. Youth

affected by war and displacement are especially in need of a transformative process leading them into successful adolescence and adulthood. The staff, board, and volunteers all resonate with the stories of our youth. As the Board Chairman, it has been a wonderfully fulfilling experience to be part of the accomplishments of the AjA team.

- C.H. Beck, Jr., MD, Board Chair Emeritus


Being in AjA taught me the way of speaking a language through photography. Two years with AjA, I learned all about photography

and gained skills. The program is set to teach photography, which makes me feel comfortable sharing my stories though pictures. I came to U.S. with almost no English. AjA helped me improve my English and get involved among other people from different cultures and beliefs.

- Fadi, age 15, originally from Iraq

W orking first-hand with The AjA Project’s Journey curriculum and photography-based educational programming, I

have seen major transformations in our students’ levels of self-confidence and through their continued development of self-efficacy. Our students successfully apply the skills taught through AjA’s programming and use these skills to communicate with their peers, family members, and communities at large in a non-traditional and inspirational manner. Through the application of participatory photography in the classroom, students learn how to represent and analyze themselves using 35 mm film and digital photography. In addition to AjA’s multi-level student evaluations, testaments from AjA students speak to the program’s effectiveness and ability to be life transforming.

- Christina Chomut, Journey Instructor, Journalist & Photographer

T he AjA Project has received funding from The California Endowment for multiple years, including support to develop their Journey

program evaluation and media outreach program... We are at the beginning of a comprehensive, 10-year Building Healthy Communities strategy in City Heights, and anticipate that The AjA Project will continue to be a key community partner in those efforts... We support AjA’s continued vision of social transformation through the arts in our community.

- Steve Eldred, The California Endowment

2 / 2010 ANNUAL REPORT

National Geographic Society’s Explorers Hall (2003)United Nations Headquarter (2004)Inter+Sections in City Heights (2005)Re+Collect at The San Diego Museum of Arts (2006)iN+Grain in Southeastern San Diego (2007) Barrio El Progreso in Colombia (2008)underSTAND at The Naval Training Station San Diego (2009/2010)

27

7

63

1 MILLIOn

SMALL-ScALE ExHIBItS

ExHIBIt VIEWERS

LARgE-ScALE PuBLIc ExHIBItS

*Somalia, Iraq, Burma and Mexico have highest numbers

2003

2005

2007

2009-2010

2004

2006

2008

cOuntRIESREPRESEntED


tOtAL WORKSHOPS

tOtAL PARtIcIPAntS

tOtAL WORKSHOP SItES

1,156

181,723

21LAnguAgES

Chula Vista Middle SchoolCrawford High School

Sudanese English ProjectSouth Sudanese Community CenterSan Diego Asian Youth OrganizationTranscenDANCE Youth Arts Project

President John Adams ManorGompers Charter Middle School

Cajon Valley Middle SchoolMalcom X Library

Emerald Middle SchoolCity Heights Wellness Center

Mid- City CANCajon Valley High School

Lincoln High SchoolHigh Tech Middle Point Loma

High Tech High Chula VistaHigh Tech High Point Loma

10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY HIGHLIGHTS

“We involve, we communicate, we create new ideas through our pictures and activities by being part of The AjA Project.”

- Cuc, age 18, Vietnam


In the last 10 years, The AjA Project has had hundreds of dedicated individual donors. We would like to take a moment to acknowledge a few who have made significant contributions over the years:

Dr. Zuhair Shihab Dr. Shihab strongly believes in the mission that lies at the heart of The AjA Project. Born in Yemen to a family of 10 children, Dr. Shihab’s earliest memories involve helping his father in his small shop in Aden and learning basic Somali from the Somali families who lived in his neighborhood. After completing his medical studies in Lebanon, the Lebanese civil war began and he made the decision to immigrate to New York. As an immigrant in America, he learned the difficulties of transitioning to life in a new country first-hand and came to identify with the plight of immigrants and refugees fleeing war-torn countries. He’s been living and working as an opthamologist in the U.S. for over 30 years and routinely visits Yemen to visit family and patients. Dr. Shihab is married to Ekhlas Shihab, who is also a Yemeni immigrant. He has four children and a one-legged parakeet named Tweety.

Dr. William CrawfordMasahiro Takeda Laura GalinsonHiroshi Wada

The City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture, The National Endowment for the Arts, The James Irvine Foundation, The Parker Foundation, The Legler Benbough Foundation, and The Gould Family Foundation.


SPEcIAL AcKnOWLEDgEMEnt tO OuR LOng tERM FOunDAtIOn SuPPORtERS

DOnOR SPOtLIgHt

National Geographic, United Nations, Harvard University, WorldLink, Clinton Global Initiative, Museum of Photographic Arts (MOPA), San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA), New Americans Museum, Children’s Museum, Old Globe, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), City Heights Wellness Center, California Endowment, International Rescue Committee (IRC), University of San Diego, San Diego State University, University of California San Diego, Duke University, and Chelsea Art Museum.

From 2006-2008, The AjA Project underwent an extensive quantitative and qualitative program evaluation. The evaluation concluded that The AjA Project’s programming plays a significant role in alleviating the sense of despair and alienation often experienced by refugee and immigrant youth. In 2009, The AjA Project developed an extensive photography-based curriculum addressing the evaluation findings. The curriculum is utilized in AjA’s after-school Journey Program is available for licensing.

Also in 2009, The AjA Project was one of two organizations in San Diego to receive funding through the National Endowment for the Arts Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

In 2010, The AjA Project expanded programming and diversified participation by serving at-risk youth during the school day, using a photography-based curriculum that built upon classroom learning on Social Justice and Cultural Literacy.

In 2008, The AjA Project received the Coming Up Taller award for excellence in youth programming.

PARtnERSHIPS

AccOMPLISHMEntS


10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY HIGHLIGHTS


The AjA Project provides photography-based educational programming to youth affected by war and displacement; students think critically about their identities, develop leadership skills, and become agents of personal and social transformation.

Participatory photography is a creative modality that uses photography to help participants analyze their personal and social landscapes. This process of self-exploration is designed to validate and empower the participants’ perspective, and provide an avenue for self-guided reflection and group dialogue.

REpoRTpRoGRAm

mission

method



2010 IN NUmBERS

Journey - 109Crawford HigH SCHool (City HeigHtS)CaJon Valley Middle SCHool (el CaJon)CaJon Valley HigH SCHool (el CaJon)

AFtER-ScHOOL

tOtAL - 31cItY HEIgHtS WELLnESS cEntER (cItY HEIgHtS)MID-cItY cAn (cItY HEIgHtS)

cOLLABORAtIOnS

SOcIAL JuStIcE - 85 LIncOLn HIgH ScHOOL (SOutHEASt SAn DIEgO)

cuLtuRAL LItERAcY - 111HIgH tEcH MIDDLE (POInt LOMA)HIgH tEcH HIgH (cHuLA VIStA)

In-ScHOOL

YOutH ADVISORY cOuncIL - 13YOutH LEADERSHIP

tOtAL PARtIcIPAntS 349

tOtAL WORKSHOPS 238

tOtAL WORKSHOP SItES 8

tYPES OF WORKSHOPS 4AFtER-ScHOOL, In-ScHOOL, YOutH LEADERSHIP & cOLLABORAtIOnS

BREAkDowN of STUDENTS BY SITE


Journey students extended their learning outside of the classroom with trips to the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park, Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla, AjA’s large-scale exhibit underSTAND, Chicano Park and downtown San Diego. These trips served to reiterate the themes of culture and community addressed in class, and provided an opportunity for students to visit a museum environment and learn how other artists use art to educate and create awareness.

Students celebrated the end of each semester with events held at the New Americans Museum and Harry Griffith Park. These student-centered events showcased the students’ photographs and narratives for community members, teachers and family members, and recognized the hard work of students through an awards ceremony, BBQ and a soccer match. End of Semester Events bring together students from across programming sites and diverse cultures, and use art as a platform for connecting youth. The events also serve to validate students’ cultural identity within the context of the larger community, thereby increasing their social capacity.

fieldtripsEnd of Semester Events


DURING JOURNEY I, students learned black and white film photography and created photographs with narratives related to the themes of displacement, migration and resettlement. Students learned about symbolic representation as they learned how photography could serve as a medium for communicating their experiences of leaving war torn countries, living on refugee camps, saying goodbye to friends and family members, arriving in an unfamiliar country, and learning to blend their old identity with their new identity.

JOURNEY II students learned point-and-shoot digital photography to tell visual stories related to community and intergenerational issues. Students defined community as family, school, friends, religious organizations and neighborhoods. Their visual narratives compared and contrasted these communities in their old country with their new country. Several students created photo books to send back to their refugee camps on the Thailand/Burma border as a way to help educate and lessen the culture shock of those re-locating. Journey II students also served as mentors to Journey I students, presenting slide presentations of their past work and offering photographic knowledge during in-class photography assignments.

IN JOURNEY III, students were introduced to SLR film photography as they explored their favorite places in their community, as well as the problems in their community. Popular favorite places included school, home, church and the beach. When discussing the problems in their community, themes included homelessness, racial violence, smoking and trash at school. Their visual narratives were used as a platform to discuss the issues and brainstorm solutions. Students also began working on multi-media photo essays about important issues in their cultural communities. Topics included inter-faith relationships, multi-culturalism at school, and the role of Chaldean women in America. Their photographs and stories culminated in a photography book that was distributed to participating students, teachers and community members.

“I think violence is a problem in my community. Most of them are teens. They fight because of religious problems and because they don’t like each other. I think children get affected because they see and learn about fighting problems. They see fighting in the streets or they see it in their families.”

- Juana, age 16, Mexico

“The first day of school was the worst day ever because I did not have any friends. Now I have a lot of friends and I know now to talk in English and nobody make fun.”

- Diana, age 12, Iraq

“Leaving your own country is like breaking some part of bond with the community. The whole day was gloomy and a smile was too expensive to sell. It was like a funeral and sure my coming to America means I am lost.”

- Elisabeth, age 18, Sudan

JOURNEY USES A NATIONALLY RECOGNIzED AND EVALUATED CURRICULUM TO INCREASE YOUTHS’ LITERACY SkILLS, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND OVERALL ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT. THROUGH THE CREATION OF PHOTOS AND NARRATIVES, YOUTH DEVELOP POSITIVE IDENTITY AS THEY PROCESS EXPERIENCES OF MIGRATION AND RESETTLEMENT, AND LEARN TO ADVOCATE FOR CHANGE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. THE AjA PROJECT RAN THREE, YEARLONG LEVELS OF SEQUENTIAL PROGRAMS – JOURNEY I, JOURNEY II AND JOURNEY III.

AfTER-SCHooLpRoGRAmS

tHE AjA PROJEct OPERAtED JOuRnEY, An AFtER-ScHOOL, ARtS-BASED EDucAtIOnAL PROgRAM FOR REFugEE YOutH.


Curriculum Themes and module overview

Module 1: IntroductionThe Introduction Module is a beginning exploration of visual literacy and the technical aspects of photography. Students learn to critique photographs and create their own self-portraits. The language of emotions and technical photographic terminology is introduced.

Module 2: The PortraitIn the Portrait Module, students apply the foundations learned in Module 1 to create self-portraits that provide information about themselves, their socio-historical experience and their culture(s). Students continue to build vocabulary, particularly as it relates to psychosocial development.

Module 3: Old HomeIn this module, students explore their cultural identity as it relates to their place of origin. Students develop communication skills related to the language of symbolism and identity. Students use the photographic skills learned in Modules 1 and 2 to create constructed images of their old home.

Module 4: LeavingIn this module, students explore memories of leaving their old home through photography and writing. They continue to view and critique one another’s photographs as they build on their visual literacy skills. Students practice oral and written English language skills as they write and talk about leaving behind their home prior to coming to the United States.

Module 5: New HomeIn the final module of Journey I, students revisit their arrival to the U.S. and discuss life in their new community. In this final module, students begin to formulate their bi-cultural identities as they integrate their past lived experience with the present and their old self with new self.


In 2009, the agency refined the Journey curriculum to reflect the findings of a qualitative and quantitative program evaluation (2006-2008) that examined the immediate effects of Journey on refugee and immigrant youth. Following the evaluation, new tools were incorporated into the Journey curriculum to help youth more effectively increase their visual literacy, English proficiency, leadership abilities and overall psychosocial well-being.

These tools include:

1. Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS)VTS utilizes art to teach critical thinking, communication skills and visual literacy.

2. English Language Acquisition:Vocabulary has been embedded based on best practices from current vocabulary instruction research and second language acquisition research. Instructors introduce new vocabulary words and encourage youth to utilize them when discussing curriculum themes, and the emotional and aesthetic content of photographs.

3. Behavioral HealthInstructors engage youth in large-group and/or small-group discussions to reflect and process the themes before delving into the topics more deeply through writing and photographic exercises.

4. On-going EvaluationsUtilizing the original evaluation questionnaire and the Multi-Ethnic Identity Measure Tool, a set of evaluation-based activities were created to track the impact of Journey on youth. The activities evaluate five areas: photographic technique, English language acquisition, behavioral health, self-efficacy and ethnic identity. Each semester Journey students complete evaluations, in the form of worksheets, activities and slideshow surveys throughout the curriculum. The data is analyzed and used to further refine the curriculum, inform classroom instruction, and measure the impact of the program on students.

Curriculum

AfTER-SCHooLpRoGRAmS


YoUTHLEADERSHIp

An example of our leadership building work came through a project in collaboration with the Joan B. kroc Institute for Peace & Justice’s. For this project two AjA students participated in the12th Annual WorldLink Youth Town Hall Meeting, the theme being On the Brink: Responding to Underlying Causes of Conflict. Both students represented AjA and the refugee community on a discussion panel entitled Finding Hope in Adversity: Perspectives from Former Refugees. They were able to add a distinctive perspective to the meeting, being refugees themselves, and knowing the devastating effects of conflict first-hand. Over 700 middle and high school students also participated in the dialogue, discussing many pertinent and immediate questions dealing with the causes of global conflict, and issues of gender inequality, racism and xenophobia, religious intolerance and economic inequity. The YAC students were given an incredible opportunity to be the leaders and teachers to over 700 youth participants.

tHE YOutH ADVISORY cOuncIL (YAc) IS An ADVAncED PROgRAM tHAt SELEctS StuDEntS FROM JOuRnEY tO PARtIcIPAtE In A YEARLOng LEADERSHIP PROgRAM.

THROUGH EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING PROJECTS, YOUTH DEVELOPED LEADERSHIP SkILLS, PREPARED FOR COLLEGE AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES, AND USED ART TO ADVOCATE FOR CHANGE IN THEIR COMMUNITY. THE PROGRAM PROVIDED OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC SPEAkING, MENTORSHIPS WITH YOUNGER AjA STUDENTS, COLLEGE PREP AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT, AND PERSONAL PORTFOLIO PROJECTS. YAC STUDENTS WERE ALSO ELIGIBLE FOR COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS AND PAID INTERNSHIPS.

“With the YAC I got the opportunity to have one of my pictures outside of the San Diego Museum of Art. I also went there and gave tours to people that came to the event. It was nice to share my story with the people at the event.”

- Arturo, age 15, Mexico

“I have been part of The AjA Project for sometime now. I have seen much; I have grown and I can honestly say it is because I learned how to use a camera. I was a shy student, very low self-confidence. The AjA Project opened many doors for me with their classes and also being part of the Youth Advisory Council (YAC). I have learned that if you don’t tell people who you are and where you come from they will think and tell you where they believe you fit. But most importantly it will give me an opportunity to tell the world who I am from my own perspective as a man.”

- Nick, age 20, Sudan For the second year, AjA partnered with the Museum of Photographic Arts (MoPA), allowing YAC members the opportunity to serve as paid teaching assistants for MoPA’s summer photography camps for elementary to high school-age photo students. The program helped 13 YAC students further develop public speaking and leadership skills, and expand upon and develop their abilities as student teachers, mentors and photographers. Students also created a portfolio that includes a photo journal that documents their experience, letters of recommendation, and program evaluations.

f STop Internship


workshop modules

Module 1: Cultural SymbolsStudents recognize the presence, functionality and importance of symbols in their own culture, as well as the shared nature of symbols across cultures.

Module 2: Cultural HeroesStudents explore heroes in their family, local community and global community, and understand the ways in which someone becomes a hero.

Module 3: Cultural RitualsStudents understand the presence and importance of rituals as a reinforcer of group membership, and as a marker of social transition.

Module 4: Cultural ValuesStudents recognize and explore their own values, and understand the ways in which both our individual experiences and cultural background affect our values and how we judge the values of others.

Module 5: Identity & DiscriminationFollowing a critical examination of one’s cultural identity, students reflect on attacks against identity, including stereotyping, discrimination and prejudice.

Cultural Literacy Art Exchange

The workshops culminated with a Peer-to-Peer Art Exchange, bringing together AjA’s refugee students and Cultural Literacy participants for the purpose of using art to facilitate discussions about cultural identity and peace promotion. For one afternoon, students interviewed one another, compared and contrasted the photographs and writings they had each created on symbols, heroes, rituals and values, and shared differing cultural viewpoints. Several of the conversations organically turned into conversations about pop-culture and dating. Students also shared music on iPods, took photos with cell phones and kicked around a soccer ball. Creating a space for students to connect as teenagers opened up a natural dialogue and led to the development of mutual respect for one another, so when conversations arose about differences, students were more open to listening to different perspectives.

The Cultural Literacy Workshops expanded AjA’s scope of work by using art as a platform for bridging students who represent a diversity of ethnicities and classes. This type of interaction creates an opportunity to begin building the foundation for tolerance and understanding needed to build culturally vibrant communities.

“If we sit down in one room, we can always find one thing in common.”

- AjA student


The semester-long Cultural Literacy Workshops were piloted by educators at two San Diego schools in 2010 - High Tech High in Chula Vista and High Tech Middle in Point Loma, reaching over 111 non-refugee students of various demographics in the San Diego area. The workshops included educational materials, visual resources, and a short video, all centered around the theme of cultural identity. The content for the workshops was generated from over 10 years of photographs and writings created by AjA students who participated in the after-school Journey Program.

Through the Cultural Literacy Workshops, participants built a foundation to begin connecting with others via shared experiences, deconstructing cultural stereotypes and rebuilding positive cultural frameworks that invite humility and cooperative learning. The workshops examined culture through four themes -- symbols, heroes, rituals and values, and explored how each contributed to shaping one’s cultural identity. Each of the four themes was a module of study, and contained educational materials, and visual resources from AjA’s refugee students. Participants in the workshop explored their own cultural identity through creating photographs and writings related to each theme, and engaging in a dialogue about how their individual experiences influenced how they interacted others. They also completed a series of interactive activities, where they compared and contrasted their own experiences to AjA’s refugee students. During the workshop design stages, AjA worked closely with Heather Lattimer, Assistant Professor of the School of Leadership and Education Sciences at the University of San Diego.

WItHIn tHE PASt FEW YEARS, IncIDEntS OF VIOLEncE BEtWEEn StuDEntS OF DIFFEREnt RAcES, EtHnIcItIES AnD RELIgIOnS HAVE EScALAtED In SAn DIEgO, LEAVIng SEVERAL tEAcHERS AnD StuDEntS InJuRED, AnD ILLuMInAtIng A nEED FOR tRAInIng In cuLtuRAL tOLERAncE.

“When we are able to share our work and our culture we start to see things in different ways. We are able to create a more open perspective towards new opinions or ideas people may have.”

- Cultural Literacy student

“My favorite part of this project was when we looked at the different pictures the refugees and when we reasoned the photo. I liked it because I felt like they were sharing parts of their lives with me and I felt like we were all equal.”


“Getting the chance to analyze the refugee’s photos, and take photos myself really opened my eyes to the other cultures out there, and actually taught me about my own culture.”


“We came together and we were strangers. I learned about their culture. They learned about mine. When we left it was like we were friends.”

- AjA student

“[The Cultural Literacy students] saw us as Iraqis and could have discriminated or been mean to us, but they weren’t rude or careless. They were actually interested in us and respectful. I did not expect them to be that nice. Helped to make me feel differently about Americans.”

- AjA student

IN RESPONSE, THE AjA PROJECT DEVELOPED CULTURAL LITERACY WORkSHOPS FOR EDUCATORS TO IMPLEMENT IN THEIR CLASSROOMS TO HELP TEENS ENGAGE IN A POSITIVE DIALOGUE ABOUT CULTURE THAT PROMOTES SELF-REFLECTION AND AN OPENNESS TO LEARNING ABOUT OTHERS.

IN-SCHooLpRoGRAmS


Within the past year The AjA Project has also begun running short-term projects with partner agencies, utilizing the participatory photography process, to help communities identify relevant social issues and begin to re-visualize potential solutions. Such partnerships have included:

The Institute for Public Health – The AjA Project worked with the East African community of City Heights to address growing concerns around access to healthy foods and food-related social behaviors.

The California Endowment – As part of the Building Healthy Communities Initiative, The AjA Project worked with the Youth Momentum team to document the planning process, and to investigate the problems facing their communities.

CoLLABoRATIoNS


The program was designed and piloted by AjA, during the school day, for the entire 9th grade class enrolled in Lincoln High School’s Center for Social Justice. This program complimented the coursework offered through the Center, and offered students an innovative and visual approach for exploring how their race, class and gender intersected with current social issues.

The program expanded the use of AjA’s effective participatory photography tool by running an arts-based programming during the school day, and diversified participants by including at-risk teens in San Diego’s low-income communities. The success of the pilot provided a platform for AjA to champion the use of using visual arts during the school day to teach traditional educational standards. It also gave rise to investigating how to best adapt our arts-based approach to serve students across various disciplines. Visual arts-based programming helps youth build cultural literacy and discuss social tension in a non-threatening manner, in a way that encourages reflective thinking and understanding about oneself and others. It also helps students to embrace art as a powerful tool for creating change in their communities.

In 2010, tHE AjA PROJEct IMPLEMEntED ItS nEWESt ARtS-BASED InItIAtIVE – tHE SOcIAL JuStIcE PROgRAM.

“In the photo there is a Mexican trying to pursue his dream of going where he wants to be. These photos influence my life because it shows me that no matter what race you are, you should be able to pursue your dream.”

- Yesenia, age 14

“The value I associate with this symbol is corrupted because it looks like a nice place to live, but there are murders, drug dealers, drug abusers, teenage mothers, stealers, bums, and gangs. It influences me with my values because I see blacks killing blacks and kids in my class thinking it’s cool to gang bang. We’re low middle class people around here and are angry about all the things that happened to them and all the money they could have. All around the world they think San Diego is a good place to live which it is but Southeast San Diego is different.”

- Brian, age 14

BUILDING ON THE JOURNEY AND CULTURAL LITERACY PROGRAMS, THE SOCIAL JUSTICE PROGRAM USES PHOTOGRAPHY AS AN ALTERNATIVE TOOL FOR TEACHING AT-RISk YOUTH ABOUT IDENTITY AND SOCIAL ISSUES.

IN-SCHooLpRoGRAmS


SmALL-SCALE pUBLIC EXHIBITSEarth Day exhibit at San Diego State University - ÌApril 2009Teen Sexual Health exhibit at the Jacobs Center in City ÌHeights - June 2009Journey end of semester event at Harry Griffen Park in ÌEl Cajon - June 2009Be Creative Summer Reading Program, AjA Permanent ÌCollection at SD County Library - July-August 2009Mexican Cultural Month, AjA Permanent Collection at ÌOceanside Library - Sept. 2009Journey end of semester event at NTC Liberty Station - ÌDecember 2009Journey end of semester event at Harry Griffen Park in ÌEl Cajon - June 2010Exform – multimedia exhibit at Sushi Performing Arts ÌGallery - July 2010Reflection – multimedia installation at Museum of ÌContemporary Arts San Diego - October 2010Here + There, AjA Permanent Collection at Pannikin ÌCoffee House - November - December 2010


LARGE-SCALE pUBLIC EXHIBIT

Over 600,000 words, written by refugee youth living in San Diego, covered 5,000 square feet of concrete at the Fieldstone Legacy Plaza at NTC Promenade in Point Loma, San Diego, as part of AjA’s 5th large-scale public exhibit.

The exhibit was a collection of stories by refugee youth in San Diego depicting the experience of war, displacement, migration, and identity exploration. Viewed up close, the words told the stories of youth photographers from Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Cambodia, Sudan, Burma, Mexico, while an aerial view revealed their images underneath the text.

underSTAND provided a glimpse into the reality of war as seen through the eyes of refugee youth who have experienced destruction and separation. The work also encouraged the viewer to consider how we are all affected by this global story. This exhibit was an invitation to underSTAND both perspectives — to step inside and outside of the story, to reflect and to ask the critical question: how do I choose to underSTAND?

underSTAND


fINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTSFISCAL YEAR 2009 - 2010


STRATEGIC VISIoN

Resources for Educators

In 2010, the agency copy wrote and trademarked its Journey curriculum in order to disseminate it to schools and community-based youth organizations that seek to incorporate participatory photography into their own work with refugee youth.

Collaborations

In recent years, participatory photography has begun to be utilized as a collaborative intervention tool with marginalized populations, who are rarely given an opportunity to share their vision and think critically about the issues affecting their communities. To this end, The AjA Project has begun working with partner agencies, utilizing the participatory photography process, to work with communities to identify relevant social issues and re-visualize potential solutions.

Leader in field of participatory photography

The AjA Project has made significant strides in the field of youth development and participatory photography. As participatory photography has gained visibility and popularity as a tool for creating community-based change, more people have become interested in starting their own projects. In response to numerous inquiries and 11 years of experience running participatory photography programs, The AjA Project has several resources and services available for agencies and individuals looking to set up their own projects.


AjA STAff

SANDRA AINSLIEExecutive Director

SHINPEI TAKEDACo-Founder/Creative Director

ASHLEIGH STARKEProgram Director

JUSTIN APGERDirector of Operations & Finance

SENEM GOCTUCommunications & Design Manager

HIEU BUIProgram Coordinator

JENA OLSONLead Instructor

BEAR GUERRALead Instructor

BoARD of DIRECToRS

MISTY MOOREChair

SUZY BRAMZONCo-Chair

AUSTIN FOYETreasurer

WILLIAM R. CRAWFORD, M.D.Secretary

AMY PAN, PhDDirector

LARRY STEINDirector

HEATHER LATTIMER, Ed.D.Director

CLYDE “BUD” BECK, M.D.Board President Emeritus


Humanitarians $5,000 and over Zuhair Shihab • Mr. Hiroshi Wada • Masahiro Takeda • Bill Crawford • Masaharu & Motoko Takeda • Laura Galinson - Price-Galinson Collaborative Fund Visionaries $1,000 - $4,999 Charles Eddy • Antony Morigu • Misty Moore • Michael Bardin • Clyde Beck • Suzy Bramson • Bunshiro Nishikawa Ambassadors $200 - $999 Michael Leake • Carol Ann Lattimer • J.D. Garamella • Jonathan Beck • Amy Pan • Barbara Bry • Scott Grimes • Jan Rolston • Bunshiro Nishikawa • Garret Demarest • Jose & Mary Lopez • Jennifer Meranto • Hands Helping Humanity • Rafael & Mitzi Lizarraga • APA San Diego • Shereen Binno and Sam K. Attisha • Edward Olson and Linda Caldart-Olson • Linda & Richard Kozarek • Amy Binder • Judy McDonald Idealists $100 - $199 Michael Moore • Molly Moore • Kirk Bolduc • Martin Godin • Jenee San Filippo • George & Ellen Carter • Teresa J. Gonya • Kim Beck • Scott Carter • Neil Senturia • Richard Phelps • Francisco Molla • Carin Canale-Theakston • Mary Bankston • Teresa Warren • Matthew Ruben • Kate Sheridan • Eric Mata • Maxine Trimble • Jennifer Waite • Beverly Grant • Susan Channick • Suzanne Weiner • Julie Dubick • Celeste Dunn • Estelle Milch • Aline Stouse koppel Supporters $50 - $99 Loren Meeker • Robert & Ellen Bierman • Martha Yarington • Laurie Carlock • Karl & Judith Raszewski • Adam Keith • David Leaverton • Claire Carpenter • Kenji & Leslie Ima • Trudi Crow • Abigail Knief • Molly Fassler • Steffani Stevens • Cybele Thompson • J. Alan Berkenfield, MD • DeLinda Anderson • Kristin Buckley Kiefaber • Carrie Pagnucco • Jere & Carly Buckley • Sheri Lee McClain • Jason Cash • Jessica Padilla • Corinne Rogers • Susan Dykstra • Matthew Ruben • Dr. Orin D. Seright • Alison Berglas • Janice & Curtis Hagen • Archna Bhasin • Jen Weaver • Lynn Gibbs In-Kind Donations Lisa Zigarmi • Adrian Gaynor • Kim D. Kelly • Carol Grossman • San Diego Coast Company • Sector 9 • eLiveLife.com • Tieh-Pai Chen • Lynn Mitchell • Pat and Ron Nelson • Keith & Janice Roudebush

2009-2010 Funders

Boys & Girls FoundationThe Parker FoundationDr. Bronner Family FoundationMaximus FoundationPrice CharitiesCalifornia Arts CouncilNational Endowment for the ArtsNational Endowment for the Arts, American Recovery and Reinvestment ActThe City of San Diego Commission for Arts and CultureThe James Irvine FoundationCollective Voices Foundation, Inc.


highlights 8 24 25 26 27 - the aja project 8 2010 program report 25 2010 financial highlights 27...

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