Photography Teacher Lets Her Pictures Speak at Amnesty International Event

Rebecca Kandel-Scott Has Her Eye on Making a Difference

[ClickPress, Wed Apr 04 2007] The faculty of Rolling Hills Prep School continues to lead by example. A prime case in point is Rolling Hills Prep’s photography teacher Rebecca Kandel-Scott. Her photographic essay depicting the harshness of life on the Mexico border will be included at an exhibit at the Universal Amphitheatre taking place on July 21. In addition to the exhibit, a slide show of her work will appear on the screen of the Amphitheatre just prior to a sold out concert by the musical act Jaguares. Amnesty International assembled the concert and photo exhibit to bring to light the atrocities towards women, particularly in the city of Juarez which borders El Paso, Texas.

Rebecca’s photography skills have been displayed in numerous publications such as: The New Republic, the Progressive, Non Satis Scire, Synthesia and many more. Her photographs have been featured at numerous exhibitions in locations ranging from Beverly Hills to El Salvador to Budapest, Hungary. Her lens continues to provide poignant social commentary through provocative pictures. Rebecca’s exhibitions have been called stirring and stimulating. Her talent has earned her awards and grants. Rolling Hills Prep is certainly fortunate to have such a skilled photographer sharing her visual wisdom with the student body. “When looking through the lens of a camera, I explain to my students that they should see more than what’s on the other side. They need to have vision. That vision is where meaningful work will come from,” states Rebecca.

“Rebecca Kandel-Scott is the embodiment of the kind of forward-thinking teacher students can expect from Rolling Hills Prep. We’re very pleased that Amnesty International is using her work to enhance their worthy campaign,” stated Head of School Peter McCormack.

Rebecca’s exhibit Perspectives on the Border/ Perspectivas en la Frontera drew praise for its social commentary on life at the border of Mexico. Her exhibit illuminated the injustice of border life and truly has the opportunity to facilitate change. Amnesty International chose Rebecca’s work based on the power of her images and her courage to make a difference.

Erin Callahan, Amnesty International’s Western Regional Director applauded the clarity and conviction of Rebecca’s photographs. “Amnesty International is very fortunate to have the talents of Rebecca Kandel-Scott adorning and enhancing our event. Her participation is extremely meaningful.”

“When you take a picture, you want it to matter. No matter what the subject is. In this instance, I’m so pleased that my intent is unified with the mission of a heroic organization like Amnesty International,” states Kandel-Scott.




About Rolling Hills Preparatory School
Rolling Hills Preparatory School is a 25-year old, independent community school serving grade 6-12 students from 21 South Bay cities ranging from El Segundo to Long Beach. RHP is appropriately called a “community school” as it serves the broader educational interests of the South Bay as a community-based institution serving a broad array of educational constituents. RHP is a traditional college preparatory school whose mission for its college bound students is to develop disciplined minds, sound character, healthy bodies, and creative spirits. RHP is home to the Road to Excellence program which provides a variety of support services to intellectually capable, college bound students with specific, language-based learning differences. Ninety-nine percent of RHP students matriculate to student-appropriate colleges that include the nation’s finest public and private universities, local community colleges, special-focus engineering and arts colleges, and an array of state universities.

While offering a rigorous college prep curriculum, the school employs the latest proven innovative teaching models and learning styles to maximize the performance of individual students. The school encourages collaboration with other programs and non-profits to motivate and provide experiential learning to students. Arts collaborations, robotics, community service projects, and the outdoor education component of the curriculum are examples of RHP’s focus on encouraging its students to be high performers.

RHP relocated to its new campus in San Pedro in February of 2007. The new campus is one of the first privately-held, fully-sustainable, “green” campuses in the Western United States.

RHPS has its accreditation through the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS). In addition RHPS is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS).

About Amnesty International’s Women of Juarez Campaign:
In 2003 Amnesty International issued a report, Intolerable Killings: 10 years of abductions and murders of women in Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua highlighting the pattern of killings and abductions of women in Ciudad Juárez and the City of Chihuahua. The report concluded that 370 women had been murdered in a variety of contexts, possibly a third of which indicted the sexual violence. Many of the half the cases have still not resulted in the perpetrators being brought justice and doubt remains about the soundness of judicial procedures given allegations of torture. The long running campaign for justice by families of the victims has been crucial to the limited progress so far achieved.

Above all, the situation in Ciudad Juárez remains serious with at least 28 murders of women reported last year and continuing high levels of impunity, particularly for past cases. Amnesty International has always maintained that the pattern of violence against women and impunity in Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua City was of complex nature involving many different forms of crimes and perpetrators, with widespread institutional failings to prevent and punish those really responsible. The families of the victims have struggled tirelessly for justice and it’s through their efforts that national and international attention was finally drawn to the situation.


For more information contact Ileana International:

Mike Mena
310 683-6327
mike@ileanainternational.com

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