The 2007 PROJECT: TOMORROW was the inaugural program for the Young Photographers Initiative. My partner was Maine Children's Cancer Program. The participants were nine children between the ages of 10 and 18 who were or had been under treatment for cancer.

In June they were each given a camera (a Holga 120), shown how to use it and taught some of the rudiments of still photography. Then, they were given a portrait assignment: Take a portrait of someone who is or will be important in your life TOMORROW.

Before they were sent on their way with ONE roll of film that would take just 12 pictures, they were also required to write a narrative describing who they picked for the assignment and why. Their subjects were also asked to write a paragraph on what it meant to be photographed by the child. And finally I took a photo of each child. This was done so that the child and family would have a photographic remembrance of this point in his/her life for posterity.

The culmination of the project was the Exhibition in the fall that was held at Portland Children's Museum. It was a night that none of the children will ever forget. Each child had one of his/her images blown up to 2' by 2' and printed on canvas. It was hung next to the portrait that I took and the writing assignments were also posted beside them.

The entire experience of the Exhibition was heighted by the fact that neither the parents nor the children saw the images before the event. As a courtesy, they were allowed to go into the gallery alone for a few moments before the other guests.

At the close of the exhibition each child was given the two images that were hung plus a CD of all images in the exhibition and selected outtakes together with a commemorative poster.

While the project ostensibly focused on the images and the children learned something about how to use a camera, it was really about teaching them to develop their own voice. The heart of the journey was about them thinking about the TOMORROW assignment, selecting a subject, formulating a shooting plan and the challenge of shooting it with a live subject. And then, there was the ultimate satisfaction, that sense of achievement and empowerment that came from seeing the fruits of their labor on display with that of their peers. It was about hope... and the camera provided them with the vehicle to go on this journey.