Junior Entrepreneurs in Photography (JEP) is a youth program for teens ages twelve through nineteen. This program’s primary mission is to influence teens in our surrounding community to focus on their career goals before, during and after completion of college. Exposed Photography and Prevailing Word Christian Center has partnered together, we meet once a month for approximately two to four hours to discuss how photography can be used as a tool in their entrepreneurial endeavors. The teens in this program are introduced to entrepreneurship via several methods 1). Photography – hands-on training and use of camera, 2). Introduction to spiritual aspects of business, 3) Being introduced to local business owners in the community, and 4). Leadership training and development.

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Our journey to training youth in entrepreneurship began in December of 2017 as we saw a need to assist in the development of the youth in our community.  In our community we noticed that far too many children were sitting by the way side with nothing to do and no one willing to show them a more excellent way of living – children need direction. So, with just  five participants and five DSLR cameras at our disposal, each of which we had acquired throughout the years, we took to the conference room first learn about camera operation and then to the streets for hands-on photography training.  Using photography as a means to engage the youth in my community proved to be great module as we now have 13 willing and excited participants; 13 happens to be my maximum at this point. 

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Our goal is to ensure that each youth in the program has his or her own camera for use when we go out to the different venues to take photographs as it provides a sense of confidence, belonging and creativity. By the third quarter of 2019, my expectation is to have approximately 20 youth in the program, with the desire to increase monthly thereafter.  

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