Outside the Lens

About Outside the Lens

Outside The Lens (OTL) is a San Diego-based nonprofit that inspires young people to become storytellers and changemakers through media arts. Since 2001, we have served over 27,000 youth through in-school programs, after-school workshops, and summer camps. Our K-12 and transitional age (18-24) students learn more than technical skills in digital photography, graphic design, filmmaking, and emerging media, they also develop expertise in critical thinking, creative expression, and visual literacy. The mission of OTL is to ignite confidence in young people to pursue creative pathways and drive social change through the transformative power of media arts. Our vision is a world where the perspectives of the next generation are deeply valued, empowering them to pursue their unlimited creative potential for collective social change.