This National Geographic Photo Camp took place in Arivaca, Arizona, 11 miles from the border with Mexico. It was done in partnership with National Geographic Emerging Explorer and anthropologist Jason De León, the Undocumented Migration Project, and the Arivaca Action Center.  Arivaca had gotten a lot of negative media coverage as it was a center for drug and human smuggling, and it had become a police state. Our goal was to loan cameras to local Latino, Caucasian, and Native American kids, and let them show us and each other what the press was not covering – their diverse communities and homes. What came out of it was a positive interpretation and cultural exchange that defied outside perceptions. The final exhibit drew the largest crowd the community center had ever seen. See the Nat Geo story and the kids’ images here.

I've helped lead Photo Camps in Cuba, India, Qatar, and Costa Rica – places I might not have gotten to see otherwise. It's a true cross–cultural exchange, and I love this opportunity to give back. For more about NG Photo Camps, which are funded by National Geographic Society, see link. For more about the Arivaca Photo Camp see this story published in NG.