CPE2 Middle School Photography Club
Donation protected
Hello my kind and generous friends and family,
As many of you know, I am a middle school teacher at Central Park East II in East Harlem (http://www.cpe2.org/). We are a long-established elementary school (35+ years), but a new middle school (currently in our second year). CPE II is a small, progressive, public school that aims to teach our students to be critical and creative thinkers. We greatly emphasize community -- both in and out of school -- and we want our children to know that they can make a difference in the world.
I transitioned to the middle school as an opportunity to help grow our school and to work with older children. One of my hopes and dreams has been to establish a photography club at our middle school, one of my personal favorite hobbies. This past summer, I took a photo course at the Museum of the City of New York that provided me with many great ideas and inspirations for this club, including using photography as a way of studying the past and the present, capturing the beautiful (and the not-so-beautiful) elements our city, and using the camera as a tool for social activism (in the likes of Jacob Riis and Mel Rosenthal).
I am writing to you to ask for help in achieving this dream. Unfortunately, a photography club only works with the proper equipment, and my school does not have the funding for it this year. Thus, I am reaching out to YOU in hopes of a donation toward buying my school 12 Canon PowerShot camera kits (including memory cards and bags) and an Epson photo printer with ink and paper. The students will be trained in how to properly care for this equipment, ensuring we can use them for years to come. Additionally, I am in the process of securing a partnership with the Museum of the City of New York, which will provide our club access to their photo exhibits and collection portal, along with collaborations with professional photographers. Your donations would secure this great community partnership.
My vision is that our photo club will meet three times a month on Friday afternoons for 1.5-2 hours. I want us to be able to take trips to different landmarks, events, and neighborhoods, taking into account the students' interests. I can't think of a better way for 12 pre-teens to spend their Friday afternoons.
If the fund raising goes well, I'd like to be able to purchase the equipment by Christmas, and start the club in January, leaving us six months (about 18 sessions) to meet. To culminate our work, I would host an exhibition of the students' photographs, turning our school into an art gallery.
Should you be able to donate, we would certainly invite you to the exhibition. Additionally, the students would happily write you a personal thank you note with a sample of their work.
Will you help me in generating young artists and activists in New York City? Donations of all sizes are welcome.
Peace and Love,
Matt Amore
As many of you know, I am a middle school teacher at Central Park East II in East Harlem (http://www.cpe2.org/). We are a long-established elementary school (35+ years), but a new middle school (currently in our second year). CPE II is a small, progressive, public school that aims to teach our students to be critical and creative thinkers. We greatly emphasize community -- both in and out of school -- and we want our children to know that they can make a difference in the world.
I transitioned to the middle school as an opportunity to help grow our school and to work with older children. One of my hopes and dreams has been to establish a photography club at our middle school, one of my personal favorite hobbies. This past summer, I took a photo course at the Museum of the City of New York that provided me with many great ideas and inspirations for this club, including using photography as a way of studying the past and the present, capturing the beautiful (and the not-so-beautiful) elements our city, and using the camera as a tool for social activism (in the likes of Jacob Riis and Mel Rosenthal).
I am writing to you to ask for help in achieving this dream. Unfortunately, a photography club only works with the proper equipment, and my school does not have the funding for it this year. Thus, I am reaching out to YOU in hopes of a donation toward buying my school 12 Canon PowerShot camera kits (including memory cards and bags) and an Epson photo printer with ink and paper. The students will be trained in how to properly care for this equipment, ensuring we can use them for years to come. Additionally, I am in the process of securing a partnership with the Museum of the City of New York, which will provide our club access to their photo exhibits and collection portal, along with collaborations with professional photographers. Your donations would secure this great community partnership.
My vision is that our photo club will meet three times a month on Friday afternoons for 1.5-2 hours. I want us to be able to take trips to different landmarks, events, and neighborhoods, taking into account the students' interests. I can't think of a better way for 12 pre-teens to spend their Friday afternoons.
If the fund raising goes well, I'd like to be able to purchase the equipment by Christmas, and start the club in January, leaving us six months (about 18 sessions) to meet. To culminate our work, I would host an exhibition of the students' photographs, turning our school into an art gallery.
Should you be able to donate, we would certainly invite you to the exhibition. Additionally, the students would happily write you a personal thank you note with a sample of their work.
Will you help me in generating young artists and activists in New York City? Donations of all sizes are welcome.
Peace and Love,
Matt Amore
Organizer
Matt Amore
Organizer
New York, NY