10 Years of YPL

10 Years of Youth Education & Photography at the BDC

Saturday, February 24 · 3 PM

Bronx Documentary Center Annex
364 East 151st Street, Bronx, NY 10455

This event coincides with the BDC’s current exhibition, Through Our Eyes: Youth Photography at the Bronx Documentary Center, 2013-2023, celebrating a decade of stunning student work. The exhibition is on view until March 3, 2024.

For over a decade, the Bronx Documentary Center’s Youth Photo League (YPL) has empowered South Bronx students to explore their creativity and amplify their voices through photography. This program has provided invaluable resources and opportunities in a historically underserved neighborhood, resulting in award-winning images that tell compelling stories of the Bronx community.

Join BDC Founder and Creative Director Mike Kamber, former YPL Director Bianca Farrow, and alumni Pamela Y. Rozon, Alexa Pacheco, and Elisa Luna Cameron for a special conversation about building a successful, community-driven youth photography program. Together, they will reflect on the program’s achievements and discuss its future.

Mike Kamber has worked as a journalist for over 25 years. From 2002 to 2012, he covered conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other regions for The New York Times. In 2011, Kamber founded the Bronx Documentary Center, an educational space dedicated to social change through photography and film. He has received multiple awards, including a World Press Photo award, and was twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize by The New York Times.

Bianca Farrow is a program director, educator, and photographer who blends arts education, social justice, and community well-being in her work. As a founding leader of the YPL, she developed an internationally recognized documentary photography program for Bronx youth. Bianca holds a B.A. in Documentary Photography and Sociology from NYU and an Ed.M. in Education Leadership from Harvard University.

Elisa Luna Cameron is a senior at The High School of Fashion Industries who finds inspiration in photography, writing, and video game design. Elisa uses her lens to tell stories and capture emotions, channeling her creativity and activism to fuel her artistic growth.

Alexa Pacheco, a high school senior, has been part of the YPL since she was 12. With a passion for documenting untold stories through her art, Alexa aims to pursue a career in photography, traveling the world to share her perspective.

Pamela Y. Rozon is a South Bronx-based photojournalist and videographer. A proud YPL alumna, Pamela focuses her work on the social, economic, and environmental impacts of climate change in her community. She will graduate in 2024 with a B.A. in Media Studies and Environmental Sciences from Hunter College.

Lucki Islam
Lucki Islam, a 20-year-old artist from the Bronx, uses poetry, photography, film, and theater to drive self and social transformation. Her work explores vulnerability, resilience, and the complexities of grief and love.