San Diego Kids & Teens

Summer Camps

This summer, register for OTL Summer Camps! Our exciting summer camps for San Diego kids and teens dive into digital media topics!

Outside the Lens is offering in-person + virtual summer programming! 

Level Up SD in partnership with San Diego Unified School District:

Level Up SD Program Portal - Search for Outside the Lens and apply to receive your discount code. Discount codes can be used on Active when you register! 

6/21/2021 - 7/16/2021

Baker Elementary
4041 T St
San Diego, CA 92113


Grades: 3rd - 5th
Half-Day: $1200.00 (without Level Up discount code) (12:30 pm - 4:30 pm)

Baker Elementary: Crafty Camera Half Day 4 Weeks

Click, create, craft! Join this hands-on class and discover new ways of using photography to make mixed-media images. Draw, paint, collage, and photograph your way to some fun new creations. Perfect for the aspiring artist or young photographer who loves artistic adventures!

 
7/19/2021 - 7/23/2021

Baker Elementary
4041 T St
San Diego, CA 92113


Grades: 3rd - 5th
Full-Day: $450.00 (without Level Up discount code) (9:00 am - 3:00 pm)

Baker Elementary Week 1 Full Day: ABC's of Photography

You'll learn the A,B,C's as you Advance in photography techniques and discover the settings on the camera, Brainstorm how to capture the best views & framing of your subject, and capture your own photo series to edit & share. Your friends and family will think you are a true professional by the end of the week!

 
7/26/2021 - 7/30/2021

Baker Elementary
4041 T St
San Diego, CA 92113


Grades: 3rd - 5th
Full-Day: $450.00 (without Level Up discount code) (9:00 am - 3:00 pm)

Baker Elementary Week 2 Full Day: Photos, Fun + Sun

This summer, explore the art of science through photography and remix your stories told by your photos through special effects and editing! Learn about double exposure, new perspectives, stop-motion animation, macro photography and more. You will create abstract and innovative imagery while exploring the marvels of science and editing.

 
6/21/2021 - 7/16/2021

Cesar Chavez Elementary
1404 S 40th St
San Diego, CA 92113


Grades: 3rd - 5th
Half-Day: $1200.00 (without Level Up discount code) (12:30 pm - 4:30 pm)

Cesar Chavez Elementary: Crafty Camera Half Day 4 Weeks

Click, create, craft! Join this hands-on class and discover new ways of using photography to make mixed-media images. Draw, paint, collage, and photograph your way to some fun new creations. Perfect for the aspiring artist or young photographer who loves artistic adventures!

 
7/19/2021 - 7/23/2021

Cesar Chavez Elementary
1404 S 40th St
San Diego, CA 92113


Grades: 3rd - 5th
Full-Day: $450.00 (without Level Up discount code) (9:00 am - 3:00 pm)

Cesar Chavez Elementary Week 1 Full Day: ABC's of Photography

You'll learn the A,B,C's as you Advance in photography techniques and discover the settings on the camera, Brainstorm how to capture the best views & framing of your subject, and capture your own photo series to edit & share. Your friends and family will think you are a true professional by the end of the week!

 
7/26/2021 - 7/30/2021

Cesar Chavez Elementary
1404 S 40th St
San Diego, CA 92113


Grades: 3rd - 5th
Full-Day: $450.00 (without Level Up discount code) (9:00 am - 3:00 pm)

Cesar Chavez Elementary Week 2 Full Day: Photos, Fun + Sun

This summer, explore the art of science through photography and remix your stories told by your photos through special effects and editing! Learn about double exposure, new perspectives, stop-motion animation, macro photography and more. You will create abstract and innovative imagery while exploring the marvels of science and editing.

 
6/21/2021 - 7/16/2021

Euclid Elementary
4166 Euclid Ave
San Diego, CA 92105


Grades: 3rd - 5th
Half-Day: $1200.00 (without Level Up discount code) (12:30 pm - 4:30 pm)

Euclid Elementary: Crafty Camera Half Day 4 Weeks

Click, create, craft! Join this hands-on class and discover new ways of using photography to make mixed-media images. Draw, paint, collage, and photograph your way to some fun new creations. Perfect for the aspiring artist or young photographer who loves artistic adventures!

 
7/19/2021 - 7/23/2021

Euclid Elementary
4166 Euclid Ave
San Diego, CA 92105


Grades: 3rd - 5th
Full-Day: $450.00 (without Level Up discount code) (9:00 am - 3:00 pm)

Euclid Elementary Week 1 Full Day: ABC's of Photography

You'll learn the A,B,C's as you Advance in photography techniques and discover the settings on the camera, Brainstorm how to capture the best views & framing of your subject, and capture your own photo series to edit & share. Your friends and family will think you are a true professional by the end of the week!

 
7/26/2021 - 7/30/2021

Euclid Elementary
4166 Euclid Ave
San Diego, CA 92105


Grades: 3rd - 5th
Full-Day: $450.00 (without Level Up discount code) (9:00 am - 3:00 pm)

Euclid Elementary Week 2 Full Day: Photos, Fun + Sun

This summer, explore the art of science through photography and remix your stories told by your photos through special effects and editing! Learn about double exposure, new perspectives, stop-motion animation, macro photography and more. You will create abstract and innovative imagery while exploring the marvels of science and editing.

 
6/23/2021 - 07/21/2021

VIRTUAL


Grades: 9th - 12th
Full-Day: $799.00 (without Level Up discount code) (Wednesdays 9:30 -11:00)

Leadership Through the Lens Session 1

Join us for Leadership Through the Lens with the University of San Diego California, this virtual course will provide students with an in-depth look at photography as a tool for social justice and how youth leadership changes the world. Phase one of this course aims to provide students with an in-depth look at the history of photography as a tool for social justice and how youth leadership has changed the world. Students will gain a solid foundation of leadership theories and social justice photography, in order to create their own comprehensive action plan for a youth-led social change project. *** STUDENTS GRADES 9-12, EARN PRE-COLLEGE CREDIT ***

 
7/28/2021 - 08/25/2021

VIRTUAL


Grades: 9th - 12th
Full-Day: $799.00 (without Level Up discount code) (Wednesdays 9:30 -11:00)

Leadership Through the Lens Session 2

Join us for Leadership Through the Lens with the University of San Diego California, this virtual course will provide students with an in-depth look at photography as a tool for social justice and how youth leadership changes the world. Phase two of this course aims to provide students with the tools and guidance to implement their youth-led social change project. Students will continue adding to their knowledge of leadership theory as well as studying best practices for sustainability and longevity within their project. *** STUDENTS GRADES 9-12, EARN PRE-COLLEGE CREDIT ***

 
7/12/2021 - 7/16/2021

La Jolla Historical
780 Prospect Street
La Jolla, CA 92037


Grades: 6th - 8th
Full-Day: $450.00 (without Level Up discount code) (9:00 am - 3:00 pm)

Take it to the Street

Street photography is about showing people your world, through your eyes. Using a DSLR, you’ll learn techniques street photographers use to capture the moments, objects, and people that they see. Then, you’ll put your new skills into practice as you hit the streets with your camera.

 
08/02/2021 - 08/06/2021

La Jolla Historical
780 Prospect Street
La Jolla, CA 92037


Grades: 6th - 8th
Full-Day: $450.00 (without Level Up discount code) (9:00 am - 3:00 pm)

Take it to the Beach

Capture summer through the lens in this weeklong photography and film workshop! Dive into landscape, portraiture, action, surf and underwater photography, and even short films as you become an experienced beach life photographer.

 

Happy Customers!

I can’t really think of any way to improve upon the program, as it seems to have been very well planned and thought through. Each individual piece of the program was well organized and detailed, and each piece transitioned perfectly to the next component and also to the bigger picture ... We all enjoyed every aspect of the program and our family loved the final exhibitions!

– Alison

I knew nothing about photography before I began with OTL, but have also learned many things that I use when taking photos in my own life ... As photographers, the students become more observant of the world around them and see things from different perspectives. They also see that photography is a tool for communicating across the globe.

– Brooke

Thank you for giving our students such wonderful photography ... they had an opportunity to express themselves openly and honestly and they were respected for their work.

– Susan
 

Outreach


Since 2001, Outside the Lens (OTL) has delivered its curriculum to 13,000 children in weekly classes, after-school programs, summer sessions, workshops and teacher trainings. Students tell their unique personal stories through photography, video, and other digital media forms while under the guidance of writers, journalists, filmmakers, photographers, artists and teachers. Our outreach programs target under-served and at-risk youth grades K-12 throughout San Diego County and uses participatory photography and video, a method in which students are given cameras and videos to document the issues that concern them. As a 501(c)3 non-profit, our curriculum reached over 5,000 people in 2013.