Youth in the KHCC SONYC program have teamed up with artist Kristin McIver and Residency Unlimited to install a vertical vegetable garden.
The project titled "The Selfie Project" is an artistic, educational workshop that translates student's face recognition data (generated by computers to identify faces in digital photographs), into a combined abstract portrait, represented as a vertical vegetable garden.
Kristin McIver is a multi-disciplinary artist who utilizes devices such as language, light and new-media. Her works explore themes of personal identity and its relationship to social media, and how the participants of digital consumer culture become the subject and object of the production cycle. Her work has been exhibited in the US, UK, Asia, Europe and Australia.
Youth are involved in hands-on, interactive workshops that enable them to experience the crossover between art, technology, sustainability and nature. The topics of internet safety, food security, healthy eating, recycling and the role that technology plays in today's society are discussed, allowing a broad understanding of current social issues.
STEM programming is critical to the future of KHCC youth, who get a multidisciplinary understanding of science, technology, engineering and math, while developing critical thinking and teamwork skills, positioning them as the next generation of innovators.
As they graduate from KHCC's College Directions program and move on to study a STEM degree at college, and who are often the first in their families to do so, they will earn higher wages and have more choice of occupations, as STEM based jobs are growing faster than non-STEM jobs.
"Building this awareness through an artistic outlet will enable participants to understand the world from a different perspective and foster creativity as a way to tackle life's challenges", said Derwin Greene, SONYC Program Director.
KHCC runs multiple STEM activities in two locations such as robotics, coding, team battle chef and film making. The SONYC program also runs a youth council that develops leadership skills through mentoring, discussing social justice and teen issues and by providing counseling and homework assistance.
Come to KHCC and see the Selfie Project installation or join our mailing list to get regular updates about what's happening at KHCC.
By William Littleton | Director of Development and Healthy