FotoFence 2008 - Opening Reception, Sunday, May 11, 2008

Photos for FotoFest by Fred Baldwin and Eric Hester

FotoFence is the year-end project of FotoFest’s Literacy Through Photography education program, designed to help young people achieve better communication and writing skills through the stimulus of photography. FotoFence is an exhibit of over 400 student-created posters with photographs and written essays. Literacy Through Photography has operated in Houston-area schools since 1990, reaching over 1,500 students annually. FotoFence 2008 Participating Schools Amigos Por Vida, Houston Chinquapin School, Highlands Cullen Middle School, Houston East Early College High School, Houston Eisenhower Middle School, Wyckoff, NJ Furr High School, Houston Helms Elementary, Houston Nadine Kujawa Elementary, Houston (WITS) Houston; KIPP Shine Prep, Houston La Porte High School, La Porte Pomeroy Elementary School, Pasadena Yzaguirre School For Success, Houston Sinclair Elementary, Houston Southmore Intermediate, Pasadena Spring Branch Elementary, Spring Branch Spring Woods High School, Spring Branch Velasquez Elementary, Richmond

At the Mother's Day opening for FotoFence 2008, Sunday, May 11, 2008, students from a number of the participating schools read from their writings. Students’ stories and photographs addressed experiences from their own lives, their families, communities and dreams as well as global warming, immigration, neighborhood violence, and drunk driving. Among the student readers featured at the FotoFence 2008 reception was Irvirine Eggerson, 2nd grader from KIPP SHINE Academy (right). KIPP SHINE Academy is the first early education and elementary charter school opened by KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) in the U.S. During the 2007-2008 school year, 120 students; the entire second grade class; were taught using Literacy Through Photography. Holly Rayna Raub, Coordinator, Literacy Through Photography Nayib Moran, Chinquapin School Marlene Castillo, East Early College High School

Baylor College of Medicine - Transition Medicine Clinic

In 2007, Baylor College of Medicine and FotoFest started a pioneering program for adolescents and young adults with chronic illness and disabilities. At Baylor’s Transition Medicine Clinic, the young people are using Literacy Through Photography strategies to confront their disabilities. I have a secret that I rarely share with anyone… Many may wonder why exactly I have kept this secret in my young adult life. The reason starts when I was in elementary school, a very good friend of mine, who lived two doors down, called me ‘arthritis boy.’ This made me very mad, it made me feel different, or not ‘normal.’ It left me in a category all by myself... - Eric Schneider, Baylor Transition Medicine Clinic Program Dr. Cynthia Peacock, Program Director, Transition Medicine Clinic, Baylor College of Medicine Eric Schneider, Transition Medicine Clinic, Baylor College of Medicine

Houston Press High School Photo Contest

With the Literacy Through Photography work, FotoFence 2008 featured winners from the Houston Press High School Photo Contest. The Houston Press High School Photo Contest awards prizes to three or four students monthly. A single $1,000 college scholarship is awarded at the end of the year to one of the monthly winners. The winner of the $1,000 scholarship and a group of runners up and honorable mentions were announced at the May 11 event. The winners are: Stephanie Schmitt, Taylor High School - 1st place and a $1,000 college scholarship Willie Xu, Taylor High School, 2nd place and a $250 scholarship Danielle Riley, Westchester Academy, 3rd place and a $150 scholarship Special recognition goes to: Mariah McWhorter (Kingwood), Yasmeen Smalley (Bellaire) and Whitney Pavlas (Cy Creek) .