Grade 8 students who studied a DLTA unit designed by Anna Amato were the 2022 recipients of the Photoville & PhotoWings Educator Exhibition Grant. Their work will be exhibited outside their school for public viewing during the festival June 4-26, 2022.
Here’s the entry on the Photoville website:
“What contributes to a healthy neighborhood and why should people care?
Eighth-grade students from Santa Maria School were tasked with answering this question, embarking on a new journey into the world of photography using New York City neighborhood data as their guide. Combining art and math classes, the end result would be a personally curated photo series highlighting what students believe are the most important indicators of neighborhood health.
Before diving into data analysis, students were asked to take a walk around their neighborhood and photograph features that may contribute to or detract from their personal health. After this initial data collection activity, the class was introduced to DATA2GO.NYC, an online mapping tool that allows users to view city-wide data on various health indicators. Students used this tool to further explore their neighborhood and select a focus for their data stories. Before setting out on another neighborhood walk, students learned the basics of photography composition and created shot lists for their final series. The photos displayed here were proudly chosen by the artists themselves as a response to that initial question.
Throughout this project, students were given opportunities to reflect on their surroundings. Whether their final focus was on areas in need of improvement, or indications of a perfectly healthy neighborhood, this exhibition is a testament to the thoughtfulness and introspection of these young photographers.”