William Wells Brown Community Center (WWBCC), a Lexington Parks & Recreation Community Center in partnership with Fayette County Public Schools, recently completed the 100cameras program. 100cameras is a worldwide program that works with youth who face challenging experiences. It teaches them to use photography to process and tell their stories in an impactful way and to express themselves and their roles in their communities.
Lexington’s Parks & Recreation applied and received a grant to fund the program at WWBCC and to supply the kids in its “Camera Club” with cameras for them to use throughout the program. Upon completion, kids received certificates and were able to keep their cameras. Their favorite photos they took are available for purchase on the 100cameras website. 100% of proceeds from the students' photo sales go directly back to the community, with proceeds raised helping to fund much-needed educational supplies for the students and their peers.
The “Camera Club” is just one of many programs offered through William Wells Brown Community Center. WWBCC offers a wide variety of programs for students attending the elementary school, including sports, crafts, cooking and gardening, step and dance, art, and mentoring. Additionally, adult fitness classes including aerobics, yoga, Zumba, and kettlebells are offered weekly. Jill Wilson, the Center Director, has been instrumental in the intentional planning and execution of these programs.
“Being exposed to a positive atmosphere helps our youth overcome a lot of barriers they are facing every day,” said Wilson. “These programs are planting a lot of seeds of knowledge which will lead to a brighter future for our participants. I see constant growth from the students who participate, who are eager to keep learning more.”
Wilson has been the Director since the facility was built in 2008 and has been with Lexington Parks & Recreation for over 28 years. With many talents of coordinating programs for kids and their families, serving the community and providing services to the entire family is a focus of hers, and has been a passion since the center opened. Jill and the center have received several awards and recognitions for the array of activities and programs they provide. Providing community partners and resources has been a priority of the center, which is located in Lexington’s historic East End neighborhood.
“Our youth are our future. Supporting and educating them is a way for us to address current societal challenges and try to prevent them from happening with future generations,” Wilson continues. “It’s important that we create a safe, fun, educational environment and provide tools of enrichment and cultural diversity to lead to a better tomorrow.”
To find out more about how to partner with our community centers visit lexingtonkygov/partnerships.
Parks & Recreation, a division of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, oversees the programming, maintenance and development of over 100 city parks and natural areas, six pools, five golf courses, community centers, recreational programs, and three arts venues. To find out more, follow @LexKYParks on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or sign up for the email newsletter.
