A Year in Review
As we begin the new year, we would like to take a moment to reflect on this past year and look forward to the year ahead!
Looking Back:
In 2022, we completed 287 workshops reaching 6,774 students! Our workshops took place in Guelph-Wellington, Halton, Peel, Waterloo, and Hamilton. Aside from our workshops, we were also able to run 14 weeks of camp throughout March break and summer break. This allowed us to reach another 179 children. Overall, we worked with almost 7,000 children in 2022! This would not have been possible without the help of our supporters, sponsors, community members and the school boards we work with!
We were honoured to receive funding and donations from many organizations and individuals. In 2022, we received; ECO Canada Funding, a RTOERO Grant, WRCF Youth in Rec Funding, support from Canada Summer Jobs, donations from 100 Men Who Care, as well as private donations. With this funding, we were able to give more children opportunities for art and nature exploration, and provide discounted workshops for schools in low-income areas.
Each year, workshop students and campers are able to capture breathtaking photos of nature and animals. This year, we held two student photography exhibits showcasing 30 images each in Guelph. However, we couldn’t stop there. We also displayed an online exhibit for each region which showcased 30 images chosen by judges in each region!
We are proud of the success we achieved in 2022. It is heartwarming to see the impact we have had on each child we have had the opportunity to work with. Our goal is to inspire others yet the children, teachers, and staff members we work with inspire us even more!
Looking Forward:
Looking forward, we have many goals for 2023! We will always strive toward our mission of inspiring young people to explore and connect with the natural world through photography. Beyond that, we hope to finalize our new camp booking system before camp season begins to provide a user-friendly experience for all. We also plan to continue growing connections in Hamilton and Dufferin-Peel. Lastly, we hope to complete 14 weeks of summer camp and to have at least two in-person exhibitions next fall!
We would like to thank everyone we have worked with and everyone who has supported us throughout the years! We are excited to see what 2023 brings!