Photography can be a tool for self-reflection or a tool for exploration for our students. It can be a medium to tell their own narrative or to interrogate the world around them. It can be a practice for learning leadership, collaboration, and project management. With all these possibilities and so many ways to approach them, the Fall 2021 Educator Lab offered a space for educators to exchange ideas and learn from their peers.

This Educator Lab was held on Pier 3 of Brooklyn Bridge Park which hosted many of the Photoville Festival’s youth exhibitions in 2021. Participants heard from many arts educators who exhibited student work at the festival, with the goal of gaining new photo ideas and approaches to bring back to the classroom, or tools and reflection to deepen their practice.

Photoville Educator Labs, presented in partnership with PhotoWings and supported by the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, are professional development workshops for educators to be inspired, connect and collaborate on ways to bring visual storytelling into the classroom. The program is free and open to educators of all subjects and of all ages, but the content will be focused on middle school and high school art teachers working in the DOE and in community programs.