Photo Camp Stories: Our World Through the Lens of Young Photographers

"Photo camp inspires kids to be explorers...to explore their own world in a deeper way and ultimately change all of our worlds." - Amy Toensing, National Geographic Society

"Now I can tell a story using pictures. I can now let the world know what is happening here." - Akuot Chol Mayak, Photo Camp South Sudan

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For 20 years, National Geographic Photo Camps have brought together teens and young adults to experience a week of photography while being mentored by some of the most celebrated photographers in the world. The program is tailored expressly for the young people who most need a reprieve from such challenges as displacement, poverty, or other forms of strife. At first, the participants are characteristically reticent to expose their personal pain. But with coaching and community-building, they find their individual voices, articulating their fears and hopes in stunningly expressive photographs and deeply candid writing.

This inspiring book of photography unfolds as a series of topical chapters, organized around issues such as identity, community, conviction, and creativity. With arresting visual content and poignant storytelling, it will deliver an authentic portrait of how large numbers of young people around the world really live, told by the young people themselves. Filled with 250+ images that span 20 years and more than 35 countries, as well as alumni profiles and essays, this compelling work conveys the raw yearnings of youth--and imparts enduring lessons for the future.