The Groundwork Student Program

Ask most creative kids in Cochise County where they're supposed to develop that skill and you'll get a shrug. School has a place for the athlete and a place for the honor roll student. It doesn't always have a place for the kid who sees the world through a lens. The Groundwork Student Program was built to be that place.

It's a semester-long hands-on photography and video program for homeschoolers, and it's taught by people who actually do this work for a living, not pulled from a curriculum kit. Students meet twice a month and spend eight sessions building real skill from the ground up, understanding light, learning to shoot outside of auto mode, framing a shot that actually holds attention, and cutting their own footage into a finished piece. Class time regularly moves out into the field, to some of the best shooting locations Cochise County has to offer.

Students also have the opportunity during the semester to work alongside a photographer at live events, getting a real look at what the job actually involves before they ever step into one on their own. Everything they've learned comes together at a final capstone shoot, where students take on a real assignment with a real deadline and deliver work at a professional standard.

By the end of the semester, each student has a portfolio worth showing, a certificate marking their completion of the program, and a place at our end-of-semester showcase where that work gets in front of their family and community.

Classes are held every other Wednesday at 833 E Fry Blvd from 2PM-3PM for the full semester, and tuition is $300 per student, due every other Wednesday on class days. Families enrolling more than one child receive a discounted rate of $250 for the second student. Payment can be made directly or through ClassWallet, so families using ClassWallet funds can apply them toward enrollment.

Pay for the course on ClassWallet by searching “The Groundwork Student Program by Foundation Production House”.