NSJH students explore food photography thanks to NSEF grant

Ninth-grade art students at North Syracuse Junior High School recently completed a creative, hands-on unit that blended photography, culinary arts and marketing—all thanks to a grant from the North Syracuse Education Foundation (NSEF). Led by art teacher Tracy Liberman, the unit—“Feast or Famine – A Lens Perspective: Mastering the Art of Food Photography”—combined Visual Arts with cross-curricular support from Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) and Business teachers. Students learned food styling techniques, explored professional photography skills and even created and photographed their own unique ice cream flavors. As part of the experience, they titled their creations, designed advertisements and considered how visual presentation impacts consumer behavior. “This project was absolutely in my top five ever in 27 years of teaching,” said Liberman. “My colleagues and students were very excited to do this and receiving this grant made it all possible.” Students were assessed through a variety of creative and reflective exercises including a final photo composition, peer critique, written reflection and themed labs like “Making Ice Cream That Doesn’t Melt.” Their final projects demonstrated strong technical growth, artistic storytelling and deeper self-expression.

Mrs. Liberman is currently putting together a slideshow of the complete project. Many students expressed new interest in photography and digital media as potential career paths, proof that creative, interdisciplinary learning makes a lasting impact.

Thank you to NSEF for supporting this exciting and innovative opportunity for our students!