THE CURRICULUM
Built for girls.
Taught by girls.
Our gender-based photography curriculum has reached communities as varied as a rural village in Ethiopia, a boarding school in India, and Oglala Lakota youth on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, USA.
What We Teach
Students learn photography as a craft to use their voice for self-expression. They master techniques like rule of thirds, leading lines, symmetry, perspective, lighting, visual storytelling, and double exposure. But the camera is always in service of something bigger.
Every photography lesson runs alongside a gender-themed discussion. Topics are co-created with our community partners and vary based on local needs. Past themes have included identity, gender roles, matriarchal communities, menstruation, myths and truths about gender, machismo culture, healthy relationships, and gender-based violence. We go where the community needs us to go.
How It Works
Every program follows our peer-to-peer model. In week one, our team of professional photographers teaches girls technical skills and how to lead a classroom. In week two, girls take full ownership. They decide which techniques to teach, which sections of the lesson plan to cover, and how to command the room. Boys learn from girls. The shift is real and visible.
The two-week intensive is just the beginning. KIOO trains a staff member from each community partner to continue the program year-round, ensuring local ownership and sustainability. New cohorts enter annually under community leadership, building something that lasts long after we leave
Bring KIOO to Your Community
If you support youth and want a girls’ leadership program that engages all genders, we’d love to talk. Our curriculum fits any budget and adapts to your community’s needs, with or without our ongoing guidance. Reach out at smile@kiooproject.org.
JOIN US
Put a camera in a girl’s hands and see her be a leader.