Youth Document Durham (YDD) is a summer program that brings together young people, ages 12–16, from diverse Durham communities to document local history and the contemporary issues that affect their lives. Advised by a youth board drawn from previous participants, YDD recognizes the catalytic role young people often play as leaders in their families and communities. In the program young people use photography, oral history, and narrative writing to represent their experiences, their lives, and the social issues affecting them. They cross boundaries and draw disparate parts of the community together, and through their projects, they add their voices to public arenas in which they are not often heard.

During the school year, the program's Youth Advisory Board meets to make decisions about the framework and focus of each summer's program. Topics explored by past participants include crime, teen violence, food cultures, music, racism, cultural diversity, technology, and jobs and education. The program is offered during one four-week session. For four intensive weeks, the students learn skills in photography using a manual camera, the techniques required to process film and develop prints, interviewing skills, computer-based audio editing, and how to write narration reflecting their experiences. They also make decisions about how they will explore their group's topic; they choose whom they might want to interview, where and what they will photograph, and what project or event might reflect their work so that they can share their ideas, stories, and photographs with the larger community.

Youth Document Durham (YDD) is on hiatus for summer 2007, so the Center for Documentary Studies (CDS) will not be taking applications for the program this year. We are currently evaluating YDD's past successes and challenges and developing strategic plans for the future, in order to make CDS youth programs stronger and more sustainable. To assist us in this process, we welcome your comments about your experiences with Youth Document Durham. Please send your responses to Barbara Lau at balau@duke.edu.

Of interest to the Youth Document Durham community, please note that there are opportunities for Durham teens with the Youth Noise Network, the youth radio after-school program at CDS. For more information, please see the Youth Noise Network page at: http://cds.aas.duke.edu/audio/ynn.html

See images from the summer 2005 YDD exhibition, Moving in the 919: Bull City Bus Stories


The Youth Document Durham program receives funding support from the City of Durham and the Triangle Community Foundation, through the Quintiles Give Back Fund and the Fund for Women and Girls of Durham.

Raised Voices Exhibit from Youth Document Durham 2001 Techno-Durham Website from Youth Document Durham 2000