Elementary school teacher Sofia Moran was looking for something that would engage her students after a long day at school, b ut also something that would help develop her students’ writing skills, especially as some of the students faced critical thresholds with TAKS.

So, when Sofia learned about Literacy Through Photography through the 21st Century Grant program, she decided to try the curriculum on her 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders at Amigos Por Vida.

The mainly Hispanic charter school in Houston’s Gulfton area, Amigos Por Vida, is a community unto itself. It provides a rich context for stories and relationships that the students draw upon for their writing and photography. Classroom teacher Sofia Moran uses this atmosphere for her students to tell stories. If they don’t have time during their one afternoon a week, the class meets on a Saturday, and goes out into the community with their cameras photographing what is familiar or what strikes a cord.

One group of outgoing girls have latched on to Literacy Through Photography as a way to become serious journalists. They’ve interviewed teachers, reported on other after-school classes, attended sports events and reported on games.

With Literacy Through Photography, Sofia Moran also uses other kinds of tactics to bring out the best in her students. She teaches belly dancing as well. The combination of belly dancing and writing can be very effective. One of her students is “pretty shy in belly dancing,” says Sofia, “but likes to write a lot, and keeps a clean journal.”

Since September, Sofia has learned a lot about her students because of Literacy Through Photography’s natural means of self-expression. “I’ve learned a lot about my students’ family issues,” says Sofia, “like problems with a father, fear. I wouldn’t have learned these things with another kind of curriculum.”

And she’s seen improvements in their writing, too. “With the 3rd Graders, I saw sentence improvement. With the 4th and 5th graders, I saw more stories. The curriculum was very helpful for them because they were practicing writing more,” which Sofia knew was especially needed for 5th Graders facing TAKS.

So popular is the program that next year, Sofia plans to offer Literacy Through Photography twice a week. Where other teachers face the problem of engaging their students, Sofia Moran will face another problem, one of demand. Students at Amigos Por Vida are asking her, “How can I get in this program?”