Youth in Focus

Unlocking the potential of the next generation of creative thinkers.

The Youth in Focus mission is to amplify teen voice through photography and arts education. Art is a powerful medium of change to create a healthy, vibrant, equitable, and just society for all. We teach students the tools and confidence they need to succeed in education, life, and career.

History of the Program

In response to the growing concerns around racism and gang activity in Seattle in the early 1990s, Walter Bodle, a photographer and retired high school teacher from Compton, CA, started Youth in Focus in 1994.

The philosophy was simple: use photography to give young people something meaningful to do with their out-of-school time, create a supportive environment of care, and bring young people from different backgrounds together to build connections and understanding.

For the past 27 years, Youth in Focus has served more than 6,000 youth with high-quality arts education. What began as a volunteer-run summer-only program for 14 teens in a borrowed darkroom with donated equipment has evolved to serving approximately 500 students annually.

We believe all youth should have equitable access to quality arts education. We provide after-school, summer, and partner programs for teens aged 13-19 furthest from educational justice. We focus on Social & Emotional Learning, 21st century skills, and technical photography and digital media skills, to ensure students have the tools and confidence they need to succeed in education, life, and career. We offer pay-what-you can tuition and free bus passes to make our program accessible to all.

Seattle's Art Gap

Washington State is the 45th lowest funded state for arts education, and 70% of Seattle high school students never take a visual arts class. Students furthest from educational justice are disproportionately impacted.

The National Guild for Community Arts Education reports, "When youth development programs are sustained and respond to community needs, they encourage cognitive development, increase creativity and improve self-esteem. High-quality, after-school programs also have a powerful impact on low-income and low-performing youth."

There is, therefore, a massive need for high-quality arts education programming provided by Youth in Focus, where we teach young people how to be resilient by developing their skills in creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, communication, perseverance, and growth mindset.