Cameras For Kids Foundation goes International

June 25, 2013 - PRLog -- Cameras for Kids, a non-profit organization that provides cameras and photography instruction to underprivileged children, will bring the new class to the Batshaw Youth and Family Centres in Quebec. The Batshaw facility offers foster care and rehabilitation to youths.  Batshaw Youth and Family Centres provides psychosocial and rehabilitation services to children, youths, and their families who have experienced situations of abuse, neglect, and behaviour problems.

The six-week course provides students with a camera and the chance to learn about the basic principles of photography, including lighting, composition, focus and color.

During the final class, students will receive a personal print of their best photo shot during the course. A photo contest among the students will provide the winner with their own digital camera to continue their photography endeavors.

“Part of the philosophy of Batshaw's residential services is to focus on the four universal needs that all children have: belonging, mastery, independence and generosity,” Batshaw Volunteer Services Coordinator David Hurley explains.

“Cameras for Kids Foundation's eight-week photography course will address the need for 'belonging,' with the youth working together in a group and selecting photography subjects that represent for them this important universal need. It will also address 'mastery,' in that they will be learning new skills while developing their artistic and creative talents,” he says.

Students will be instructed by Montreal-based, internationally recognized portrait and wedding photographer Chantale Perron. Perron worked in marketing for 15 years before finally leaving the corporate world in 2008 to open her photography businesses, Chantale Perron Portraits™ and BlackCAT Photography Inc.

As she anticipates working with the children, Perron says, “I want to share my passion for photography and teach them that a true passion doesn’t just have to be a hobby. With proper skills and guidance, you can turn any passion into a viable and profitable career.”

Cameras for Kids Founder Betsey Chesler adds, “Chantale is a great fit because she is more than enthusiastic about the benefits of our program and wants so much to work with kids. … Not every photographer will make a great teacher, however, Chantale has what it takes to connect with the kids, hold their interest, and educate them so that they may be fine-art photographers.”

Chantale’s program this summer will be implemented in the Batshaw curriculum year-round, with three to four sessions total during the next 12 months.

The international move marks another milestone during a period of rapid growth for Cameras for Kids. Since its founding in 2009, Cameras for Kids has spread to 5 states.

“This will be just the beginning of a multitude of countries providing the CFKF program,” Chesler says. “As well, I believe we will launch other locations in Canada in due time.”

About Cameras for Kids Foundation:

Cameras For Kids Foundation, Inc. has been created specifically to provide underprivileged teens living in foster care the opportunity to have a camera and learn the basic concepts of art and photography while fostering self esteem, self confidence and offering a skill set. For more information, visit www.camerasforkidsfoundation.org.