East Arizona News

State Rep. Laura Terech (D-Scottsdale) is promoting a new children's program based in Scottsdale in a July 7 tweet.

"On Tuesday, Scottsdale is unveiling the Kids in Focus exhibit featuring artwork from the perspective of young Scottsdale residents facing difficult situations," Terech wrote. "This program helps these students connect with the world around them. Go check it out!"

Scottsdale Public Art's newest exhibition, "Kids in Focus," will run from July 11 to Sept. 24 at the Scottsdale Civic Center Library. The exhibition features images produced by children who are participants in the Kids in Focus after-school program.

According to the Scottsdale Independent, Kids in Focus' nine-week, evidence-based program is for children aged 10 to 14 who have experienced poverty, homelessness, neglect or abuse. The program is intended to alter the course of troubled lives and provide the child participants with a new perspective on both themselves and the world.

“This exhibition has become a great way for these young people to understand their place in the world and to know that they have a voice,” Scottsdale Public Art curator Wendy Raisanen told the Scottsdale Independent. “I’m so happy to include work by one of the photographer mentors, Buzzy Sullivan, in the show, too.”

According to Scottsdale Public Art, dedicated mentors, including Sullivan, collaborated with the children to create the photos.

“The experience of being a Kids in Focus mentor is truly one of the most enriching parts of my life,” Sullivan told the Scottsdale Independent. “I often feel that, as a mentor, I’m learning more about my community than I could ever teach about photography. Photography is just the entry point into a meaningful and mutually beneficial connection.”

Kids in Focus was founded by Karen Shell in the early 1990s, based on her desire to help others, after surviving an abusive childhood herself. The organization uses photography to help children recognize their potential and grow their self-confidence. Through its various programs, Kids in Focus works to provide youth with a new perspective on life and foster their personal growth.