“This exhibit shows you what we love about ourselves. We are all unique and have different thoughts. In this exhibit, you will see photographs and writings. We want you to see that writing isn’t just a story. It is life. This project took a lot of hard work, and all photographs were taken by each of us. A picture is special, no matter how it turns out. Each picture, even if it’s not a picture of you, still tells about you.”

Explorer third grade teachers and students teamed up with Outside the Lens, a local community arts organization, and the Tunahaki Foundation orphanage in Tanzania for a year-long study of photography and culture. Projects integrated science, literacy, social studies, and art, using photography as a catalyst for written and verbal expression. Outside the Lens photographers taught in Explorer classrooms once a week, and Explorer teachers extended the study through projects, discussions, and field trips. Students exchanged letters, poetry, and photography with children from Tanzania. Explorer students exhibited portfolios of photography and writing for parents, students and community members.