Gayle Lynn Falkenthal is a public relations specialist writing on behalf of The AjA Project and San Diego Gas and Electric, which supports AjA through its Excellence in Civic Leadership campaign. The initiative supports mentoring, leadership development, and college and workforce preparation for underserved students in San Diego and southern Orange Counties.
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As the doors to their brand new gallery in City Heights opened officially for the first time Thursday night, youth program The AjA Project saw a dream become reality.
The AjA Project Gallery at 4089 Fairmount Ave. is the first art gallery of any kind to open in City Heights, according to San Diego City Councilman Todd Gloria. The 4,000-square-foot facility features photography by immigrant and refugee youth and houses the organization’s offices and a classroom for its after-school programs. The charming ranch style building is the former home to the City Heights branch library.
 Above: Amir Moftakhar, Sandra Ainslie, Crystal Byrd, Allison Zaragosa and Warren Ruis. | Photo Credit: Gayle Lynn Falkenthal |
“Behind the frames are a lot of kids, a lot of hopes and dreams,” Executive Director Sandra Ainslie said. “Our students’ photographs tell stories of immigration, war and social injustice. They deserve to be seen.”
AjA students and graduates treated opening night guests to personal tours. AjA alumnus and San Diego High School graduate Krystal Byrd bubbled over with enthusiasm for the life lessons she gained from her experience.
“We use photography to duplicate who we are in everyday life,” Byrd said. “Photography is not just taking pictures. You come from different angles, to get different moods.”
Byrd said she learned about different cultures through other students in the program, who come from all over the world.
Over the past 12 years, AjA has helped more than 1,500 students through photography-based programs. The program serves a large number of students who are recent immigrants from Central and South America, Southeast Asia, and Africa.
AjA’s goal is to empower youth through photography. Its process helps youth explore their personal stories and identities. It’s also help youth advocate for change in the neighborhood. The word “AjA” is a reflection of the program’s work. It’s an acronym for the Spanish phrase “Autosuficiencia Juntada con Apoyo,” which translates to “supporting self-sufficiency.”
Teachers say they’ve seen AjA participants gain self-sufficiency firsthand. According to AjA, teachers report seeing improved communication skills among 70 percent of student participants. Eighty percent of the students who participate in AjA’s advanced leadership program go on to pursue a college education.
Gloria congratulated AjA staff, students and supporters for their success at the opening celebration.
“We know that AjA’s influence goes beyond 92105,” Gloria said. “City Heights has always been a home to new generations of Americans. These young people [in the program] leave turned into wonderful citizens.”
The organization’s programs have received national attention, but it is still not well known in San Diego. Ainslie said she hopes the gallery will change this.
“We dreamed about a gallery like this for many years,” Ainslie said. “It’s important to us for many reasons. It is not just for AjA, but for the community.”