I met with the staff of the AEP Programme today to present the Visual Literacy and Communication project. I think I hit on all of the key points regarding the aims of the project and the staff's role. They were receptive and mostly enthusiastic by the end of the meeting. Some of them had never used a digital camera before today, and their smiles have me feeling that the AEP students will enjoy digital photography as well.

I stayed back in the teachers' resource room and put together a 25 point photographic language slide show, complete with a few activities to keep things interesting. I am doing a 3 hour visual literacy workshop with the AEP staff on the 14th, and I guess having met with them had me focused on that task. I was highly productive, but it was somewhat foolish not to be working on the lesson plan for tomorrow's session with the Transition girls. Luckily, it turns out that there's a party at their house today smack in the middle of our session, so we're going to learn the basics of the camera and then document the party via experiential learning.

I was on site for less than an hour today. I met with the house mother of the Transition Girls, who is a woman I know from my work last summer. She is very supportive, if not severe. She seems enthusiastic about the project and willing to assist where necessary. The other house staff person was lovely.

Of the six girls I am working with, there are two that I have not worked with previously. One of them was around quite often last year, and she greeted me with a hug. The other one was shy but seems very intelligent. I suspect that one of the girls I worked with last year will be the most challenging of the group, but with the 1:6 ratio, I am hoping we will make progress.

My 10 o'clock meeting with the two key administrators turned into 5 hours of running up and down the epic hill, having impromptu conversations with a variety of staff members and stakeholders. I filled in the dead time by hanging out with the residents, many of whom I know from last summer. The smiles on their faces when then recognized me was pretty much the best feeling in the world.

I am doing three projects:

1. Visual Literacy and Communication with the Alternative Education Programme Students (10 boys)
2. Visual Literacy and Communication with the Transition Girls, with the intention to subtly encourage working out issues from their pasts. (6 girls)
3. A Programme Assessment in the style of Photovoice with the Transition Boys who live in Barataria, which is a 'burb. (9 boys)

One of the initial challenges is scheduling that ensures all of the residents in each group are able to participate and that everyone gets a fair amount of time with the cameras. The next few days include further ironing out the scheduling, beginning work on how to roll out visual literacy in this context and pitching the idea to staff in a way that leads to understanding and enthusiasm.

Count 'Em

8 Canon Powershot A590 IS digital cameras
16 Rechargeable Duracel batteries
1 15 minute Duracel recharger
1 160 GB SimpleTech hard drive
8 Deluxe Canon camera cases (to arrive shortly)

I also have the beginnings of the Home's multimedia lab at my disposal, which will facilitate some videography, among other things.

It begins.

My plane leaves in exactly a week and 35 minutes as I type this. The money has been raised, the equipment has been purchased and the programming is rapidly taking shape.

I expect that it will be a bumpy and very rewarding ride.