From Me 2 U, Inc.
Empowering Youth, Families, and Aspiring Professionals
Through Their Eyes
Project Gallery
The Project Gallery displays work created by youth as an expression of youth voice.
2017
St. Martin de Porres Summer Camp
July 31, 2017-August 4, 2017
Project: Meant to Be Heard Ages 10-13
Participants planned, recorded, & edited podcasts - Students were given two days to prepare and two days to record their show. Each session was 1.5 hours in length. Listen to their hard work by clicking the play button.
Even organizations have to deal with challenges beyond their control. In June we were given eight days to vacate our office, after a meeting with a city councilman we received a 30-day extension. The request to vacate occurred shortly after implementing our Parent Day Away Weekend Summer Camp. Our doors will open on September 16, 2017, to the public, in our new location.
This video was created by Aminah Wyatt, Cleveland Heights High School Senior & Youth Facilitator of the "Meant to Be Heard Project."
St. Martin de Porres After School Program
Summer 2017
Photography Lessons
Project: Through Their Eyes Ages 6-9
Photography Lessons - Students were given three days to master three rules of photography and one day to shoot a masterpiece. Each session was 1.5 hours in length. View their accomplishments below. Just click the photo to enlarge. ENJOY!
2018
St. Martin de Porres After School Program
February 2018 - June 2018
Macro Photography
Beauty is in the EXAGGERATED details.
St. Martin de Porres After School Program
Photograpy Lessons
Project: Through Their Eyes Ages 6-9
The Young Writers' Club
St. Martin de Porres Summer Camp
July 16, 2018 - July 20, 2018
Project: Meant to Be Heard Ages 5-11
Kinesiology, Sports Photography, MOTIVATION!
Participants learned a new term, Kinesiology, the study of motion, how the body moves.
Nothing illustrates movement in a more defined way that sports activity.
Participants learned the art of capturing motion through sports photography.
Motion encourages people to act. Participants use their action photos to create motivational messages.
The Young Writers' Club is also a form of training for youth members in the Working On Me Club; it is also considered a form of entrepreneurship that offers participants another source in which potential income can be generated. However, as the members are minors, currently, bank accounts must be created by parents and linked to their eBook agreements on the iBooks store. This hasn't proven easy, and we are working to find a solution. When establishing a bank account for the youth is not possible, we publish compiled stories as shared authors under From Me 2 U or individual eBooks under From Me 2 U with club members noted as authors. No charge or income will be generated for club member books published under From Me 2 U.
2018 Through Their Eyes as they were Meant to be Heard Project:
Through Their Eyes as they were Meant to be Heard Project competition addressed socially conscious messages.
2019
2019 Project Challenge: The Beauty in a Bando
As a service-learning activity, high school students in the St. Martin de Porres Leader In Me Teen Leadership Programparticipated in a summer camp focused on community revitalization. After engaging in lessons on Architectural Photography and neighborhood development, youth participants were tasked with developing creative repurposing plans for abandoned commercial properties in the Glenville community.
This initiative aimed to empower students as leaders and change-makers, allowing them to explore urban renewal strategies while applying their skills in photography, research, and planning. The project highlights youth-driven concepts for revitalizing Glenville and showcases their vision for community transformation.
2019 Challenge: Community Development & Architectural Photography
In 2019, participants were tasked with visiting the Collinwood and Glenville communities, photographing abandoned commercial properties, and developing community plans to repurpose the spaces. The project emphasized the intersection of urban development and artistic expression to reimagine the future of these neighborhoods.
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The showcase for the 2019 Challenge took place in October 2019, featuring youth-led revitalization concepts.
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A featured workshop session from the project is included as part of the presentation.
Project Focus Areas:
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Target neighborhoods: Collinwood and Glenville
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Youth-developed revitalization concepts for Glenville
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Integration of architectural photography and urban development lessons
Funding Support Provided By:
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Mr. & Mrs. Jarosz
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Cuyahoga Arts & Culture
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Neighborhood Connections
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V.O.I.C.E. Consulting
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V.O.I.C.E. Consulting
Behind the scenes with Beauty in a Bando
Summer: Beauty in a Bando led by Dorcus Johnson
Neighborhood: Glenville
St. Martin de Porres Family Center - The Leader in Meh
Summer: Beauty in a Bando Photo session led by Jermaine White, Jr.
Neighborhood: Glenville
St. Martin de Porres Family Center - The Leader in Meh
The youth completed the project using a drone and iPads.
Fall: Beauty in a Bando
Neighborhood: Collinwood
An Illustrative Walk Through Our Subculture!!
This project uses photography to explore and present culture through the eyes of youth. Building on the 2019 Through Their Eyes: The Beauty in a Bando, which examined the history of abandoned commercial real estate in Glenville and Collinwood, this new iteration expands its focus beyond structures to the people within the community. Youth participants engage in photography, cultural discussions, and field trips to create an illustrative travel guide and a comprehensive e-book capturing their cultural journey.
The project integrates artistic photography with research, literacy, and critical thinking, replacing traditional competition with a community-driven challenge where participants share and discuss their work. By offering youth a platform to express their perspectives, Through Their Eyes fosters dialogue with community leaders and positions youth as change agents in diversity and culture.
Project Goals:
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Use photography as a tool to depict and discuss culture.
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Help participants define and identify different aspects of culture.
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Encourage youth to submit projects that spark community conversations.
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Provide youth with a voice in cultural discussions.
COVID-19 Adjustments:
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Sessions focused on subculture.
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The summer camp was held virtually, while youth employment sessions operated in a hybrid format.
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The 2020 project adapted to the challenges of the pandemic, shifting to virtual participation while maintaining its goal of cultural exploration and youth empowerment.
Despite the obstacles, the project remained committed to giving youth a space to express social issues through photovoice, ensuring inclusivity and engagement even in a time of isolation and social unrest.
This project uses photography to explore and present culture through the eyes of youth. Building on the 2019 Through Their Eyes: The Beauty in a Bando, which examined the history of abandoned commercial real estate in Glenville and Collinwood, this new iteration expands its focus beyond structures to the people within the community. Youth participants engage in photography, cultural discussions, and field trips to create an illustrative travel guide and a comprehensive e-book capturing their cultural journey.
The project integrates artistic photography with research, literacy, and critical thinking, replacing traditional competition with a community-driven challenge where participants share and discuss their work. By offering youth a platform to express their perspectives, Through Their Eyes fosters dialogue with community leaders and positions youth as change agents in diversity and culture.
Project Goals:
-
Use photography as a tool to depict and discuss culture.
-
Help participants define and identify different aspects of culture.
-
Encourage youth to submit projects that spark community conversations.
-
Provide youth with a voice in cultural discussions.
COVID-19 Adjustments:
-
Sessions focused on subculture.
-
The summer camp was held virtually, while youth employment sessions operated in a hybrid format.
-
The 2020 project adapted to the challenges of the pandemic, shifting to virtual participation while maintaining its goal of cultural exploration and youth empowerment.
Despite the obstacles, the project remained committed to giving youth a space to express social issues through photovoice, ensuring inclusivity and engagement even in a time of isolation and social unrest.
Drumroll Please..........
Our 2020 Project Submissions:
Arica Schielly
"Oh Word"
"Nature is the worlds' free resource for stress relief"
"Food is meant to make the soul happy"
"An open door means enter right?"
KioMara Pacheco
"Faith, Love, & Life"
Trina Huguley
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Peppers from the garden
Hot the taste
Shared with our neighbors
As we say grace
Karen Valentin
Calm, Cool, & Classy
A girl's gotta eat
Calm me
Dora
Understanding Anxiety and effective coping skills
I'm dealing with a Latte
Huguley
Black Lives Matter!
My Life Matters!
All Lives Don't Matter Until My Black Life Matters!
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Huguley
Her hair is her crown
It takes work and time
Manipulation does not equal beauty
2020
Choose 2 Be U 2020
Y.O.U. Choose 2 Be U Club members were asked to develop a children's book that explains the culture to children.
This book has been uploaded to iTunes Connect, waiting for Apple iBooks Approval.
2020 - Through Their Eyes: An Illustrative Walk Through Culture
St. Martin de Porres - Virtual Summer Camp Participants
Howard Hudson's view of subculture:
Fashion, Music & Dance, and African American Hair
Sheray Smith's (Facilitator)
view of subculture:
Fashion - Praise Dance Attire, Music & Dance, and African American Hair
Keyon & Keyonna McClintons'
view of subculture:
Fashion - Dresscode & Food
Y.O.U. Summer Youth Employment Participants - Onsite
Jaylah Alexdander's
view of subculture:
Nail Art and African American Hair
Jaquana Field's
view of subculture:
Food Seasoning, Becoming an Adult during the Pandemic, and African American Hair
Shelby Hill's
view of subculture:
Losing a Loved One during the Pandemic, Military Funeral, and Surviving during the Pandemic
Motivating others during the Pandemic
Jaquana Fields
Jaylah Alexander
Tahniya James
Shelby Hill
2021
2021 Through Their Eyes Spaces & Places Challenge Projects
Spaces & Places: Interior and Architectural Design
Spaces & Places: Interior and Architectural Design
Studio Home (Through Their Eyes 2021 Challenge - Spaces and Places )
Tutoring Center (Through Their Eyes 2021 Challenge - Spaces and Places )
Counseling Office - (Through Their Eyes 2021 Challenge - Spaces and Places )
Cafe (Through Their Eyes 2021 Challenge - Spaces and Places )
2022
Phototherapy
Participants express their thoughts, feeling, emotions, interests, goals, and aspirations through photography.
2023
Obtaining Understanding through Photographic Expression and Self-Exploration
The Through Their Eyes: Obtaining Understanding Through Photographic Expression and Self-Exploration project provides participants with a platform for self-discovery through photovoice, allowing them to explore their internal feelings, lifestyles, and challenges. Participants receive coaching, counseling, and support throughout the process, ensuring a safe and healing experience. Through photography workshops, participants are trained to express themselves visually and share their work, fostering empowerment and personal growth.
2024
Social-emotional Development & the Self-Portrait
Participants engaged in social-emotional develop through self-portrait artistry using the Chuck Close technique.
Charles (Chuck) Thomas Close (July 5, 1940 – August 19, 2021) was an American painter, visual artist, and photographer who made massive-scale photorealist and abstract portraits of himself and others. Close also created photo portraits using a very large format camera. He adapted his painting style and working methods in 1988, after being paralyzed by an occlusion of the anterior spinal artery.
Mother-Daughter Circle
The Mother-Daughter Circle project strengthens relationships by guiding participants through eight structured sessions to build trust, healthy communication, and emotional connection. Through shared experiences and mutual support, the program fosters deeper bonds and a lasting appreciation between mothers and daughters. Using the Chuck Close technique with any image of the mother-daughter pair unit, participants are tracing the growth of their relationship over time.
This project is being implemented in two fashions:
1) a One-day Retreat
2) a series of eight sessions.
Images will be updated as the artwork is completed. The first session began on 9-15-24.
Mother-Daughter Artwork
2025
Perspective
The perspective art project encourages students to connect their inner world with the world around them by exploring both photography and drawing through the lens of community. Students will begin by learning how to capture depth of field in photography, focusing on images from their own neighborhoods or community spaces. This process helps them practice self-awareness as they notice details in their environment that reflect their experiences, values, and sense of place.
In the second phase, students will apply perspective drawing concepts to design their own utopian community. This step supports social awareness and responsible decision-making, as they consider what makes a community healthy, safe, and inclusive for everyone. Through creating their imagined neighborhood, students are invited to think critically about equity, belonging, and collaboration.
Throughout the project, students strengthen self-management by setting artistic goals, experimenting with perspective techniques, and persevering through challenges in both photography and drawing. Collaborative discussions about their work also nurture relationship skills, as they share ideas, provide peer feedback, and listen to the perspectives of others.
By blending real and imagined environments, the project fosters creativity, empathy, and problem-solving, empowering students to envision not only the physical appearance of their community but also the values that sustain it.