Durham Works is about how young people work together to understand more about achieving our goals for the future. It is also about what people do—how their jobs fit their personalities, and how their jobs affect their lives. We learned how to load and unload the camera and how to focus it. We also learned how to interview a person the right way. We talked as a team about where we wanted to go. We learned about how to prepare for jobs we want so that we can get the green stuff that we ask our mothers for everyday. We would like to thank everybody who allowed us to come and watch them work. This was a great experience and let us expand our minds. We also found that there are many different jobs that a person can have. If you join this program, you will discover your abilities and learn what you can do in your future.

- Participants in the Durham Works Program, 2000-2001

Durham Works is an after-school career exploration program that encourages young people to focus their natural curiosity and questions on education, jobs, and the world of work. Durham Works provides young people with new skills and knowledge and encourages a greater sense of self-esteem, enabling participants to explore their own talents and interests. It also encourages them to take an active role in their own lives-to develop their aspirations, explore the means to reach their goals, and chart the path of their own success. Using cameras and tape recorders, middle-school students meet with community members who are working in jobs that the young people find intriguing and appealing. They learn what it takes to be hired and succeed in their chosen field, and they are challenged to consider both the pressures and rewards of different career tracks. Their documentary work is presented in various ways, including exhibits, videos, art installations, and posters.

Durham Works is sponsored by the Center for Documentary Studies in partnership with John Avery Boys and Girls Club, Durham Academy, Edgemont Community Center, Edison Johnson Recreation Center, Jordon High School, Lowe's Grove Middle School, A New Day Program at Lakeview School, West End Community Center, Githens Middle School, Weaver Street Recreation Center, Walltown Recreation Center, Durham School of the Arts, W.D. Hill Recreation Center, Campus Hill Recreation Center, and Morrene Road Recreation Center. Funding support is provided by the City of Durham. For more information on Durham Works contact Barbara Lau at 919-660-3676 or balau@duke.edu.