"When I got the message that I got accepted, I jumped for joy," declared 13-year-old Chelsea Pereira-Swainson.

What got Chelsea so excited was a new photography course facilitated by the Bermuda National Gallery and The Family Centre, a programme that was declared the Most Innovative Youth Project during the recent TechWeek.

With the aim of empowering young people to use their vision and their voice, the 10-week course provided weekly instruction in the art and technology of the photographic medium using digital cameras. With the publication of the photographs, it also gave adults a window into the world of young people.

Expeditions to Fort Hamilton and the Farmers' Market exposed the young photographers to diverse subjects, including nature, architecture and portraiture.

Instruction was provided by staff of the Bermuda National Gallery and local photography enthusiasts and included selecting subject matter, using graphic design software and making printing decisions. The students also learned how to upload their images onto a shared Internet site, creating a greater audience for their work.

The programme won't end with the ten weeks. A weekly after school club for programme graduates is planned. As members of the club, they will share photography information, use the computer and printer and meet other young photographers.

In total four 10-week sessions are planned, and the work on these pages is that of members of the first session. 10 middle school students, 12 to 14 years of age, are actively involved in the second session. There are vacancies for the third session, held over the summer, and application forms are available from the Bermuda National Gallery in the City Hall.

Photos are currently on display in the Education Room of the BNG, but a full exhibition is planned for the future, where the students' art will be available for purchase. The proceeds from the sale of work will be used to create academic scholarship funds for the young artists. Further down the line, a book of photography is planned, featuring the artwork of young people and their vision of their world.

Adult volunteer Candice Pitcher noted, "Youth Camera Action has been a great experience and creative outlet for everyone involved. It is very important for Bermuda's youth to discover their individual creative energy and, more importantly, to develop it. Many doors open in life through such creative processes and the earlier we discover this the better. My commitment to YCA had renewed my love for photography."

"My involvement with Youth Camera Action at the BNG has been a truly rewarding experience," noted fellow volunteer and BNG Registrar, Ashley Lusher. "Not only have I been able to volunteer within the field of art education, but I have also applied my photography degree in a new and exciting way." She went on to note that, "The students involved have had the opportunity to develop social relationships within a varied group while learning and developing their artistic skills in photography."

The Gallery is looking for skilled photographers to share their expertise with the young people. There are also opportunities for high school students to get involved by providing support services for the middle-schoolers in developing the website, publishing the book and mounting the exhibition.

Youth Camera Action in Bermuda was inspired by the organisation Kids with Cameras, which encouraged some of the most disadvantaged young people in Calcutta, India to learn an art form and resulted in a documentary project 'Born Into Brothels'.

The photographs accompanying this article are only a few of the photographs the students took. To view more, visit Youth Camera Action website www.ycabda.com.

For more information on the programme, call Lisa Howie at the Bermuda National Gallery, 295-9428