Photography makes for a Big Fat Smile

Big Fat Smile is a community-owned, industry leading provider of child education, care, recreation, cultural and inclusion services based in Wollongong.

A not-for-profit organisation that plays an important part in the lives of thousands of children and families with a network of 26 Community Preschools, 14 Fun Clubs (out of school hours care), and a portfolio of community and inclusion programs across Australia.

Their recently-introduced photography program has run at a number of after-school fun clubs over the past 12 months after Big Fat Smile was awarded Canon’s Community Grant last year.

The photography program has been popular amongst the kids at the fun clubs, giving them a new different way of learning and applying new skills. During the program, the children have developed friendships, worked in teams and developed their confidence and communication skills by positively critiquing the work of other students. They have also learnt:

• Collaboration and teamwork skills from working in pairs
• Public speaking skills through group discussions where the children positively critiqued other images
• Building friendships and facing challenges together
• Becoming better communicators by presenting their images to the class, and discussing their prints with parents at home.

As a grant winner, Big Fat Smile received $5000 of products and cash, allowing the staff at Big Fat Smile to design and run photography workshop for the children – something that wouldn’t have been possible without the grant. 

Submissions for the 2019 Grants program have closed and voting will open on 13 August.