OUR VISION
A generation of young environmental storytellers who use creativity, curiosity, and courage to shape the future of the places they love, and the communities they call home.
17
Students visited the canyons
4
1
Public photography exhibition
Sessions completed with students
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Stories waiting to be told
OUR MISSION
More Than
a Camera
Canyon Voices empowers teens to step outside, pick up a camera, and find their voice. Through hands-on photography education and real experiences in the Cottonwood Canyons, we help students develop technical skills, environmental awareness, and the confidence to share their perspective with the world.
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Photography Skills
Technical camera skills, composition, light and editing.
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Environmental Awareness
Deep knowledge of the Canyons ecosystem.
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Presentation Experience
Public speaking and showcasing your work confidently.
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Critical Thinking
Analyzing real community and environmental issues.
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Community and Belonging
Work alongside peers in a collaborative setting.
WHAT YOU GAIN
Skills That Last Beyond the Canyon
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
What Canyon Voices Is
Canyon Voices is a youth-led photography and outdoor learning program designed to empower students through creative expression and environmental education. Students learn the craft of photography, study the ecosystem of the Cottonwood Canyons, and bring those lessons to life in the field, culminating in a public exhibition where their work is shared with the community.
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Learn the Craft
In-classroom lessons on camera fundamentals, composition, light, and editing. Alongside conversations about the environment and the issues facing the canyons.
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Into the Canyon
Field sessions in the Canyons. Students apply what they've learned, photograph the landscape and wildlife.
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Share Your Voice
A public exhibition where students showcase their photographs and present their perspective on the places they've come to know.
WHAT WE STAND FOR
Everything we do is grounded in these principles, from how we teach photography to how we show up for our community.
Youth Voice
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Every student has a perspective worth sharing. Canyon Voices creates space for young people to be seen, heard, and taken seriously.
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Community Impact
Our work doesn't end in the canyon. Every photo, every exhibition, every conversation is an opportunity to contribute something meaningful.
Connection to Nature
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We believe that time spent outdoors changes how young people see themselves and the world around them. The canyon is our classroom.
Leadership via Action
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Canyon Voices develops confident young leaders who learn by doing, not by watching. The best way to grow is to step up and create something real.
Our Values
Creative Expression
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Photography is more than a technical skill — it is a language. We encourage every student to tell their story their own way, through their own lens.
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Accessibility & Inclusion
The outdoors and the arts belong to everyone. Canyon Voices removes barriers so students from all backgrounds can participate and thrive.
FROM THE FIELD
The Gallery
Photographs from Canyon Voices sessions in the Canyons. Every image is a moment a student chose to keep — a piece of the canyon told through their lens.
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OUR PARTNERS
Built in Partnership
Millcreek, Utah
Utah International Charter School
Our spring 2026 exhibition is hosted at Utah International Charter School in Millcreek. They provide the venue, the audience, the transportation and a community of students.
Salt Lake City, UT
Every Kid Outdoors (EKO)
Canyon Voices is part of EKO's initiative. EKO empower young people to explore outside.
Sandy, UT
Waterford School
Waterford has supported Canyon Voices from the beginning by providing the cameras students use in the field, and the educational foundation that made the program possible.
I want to create a space where students can experience the nature and environment in the canyon and document those experiences with photographs that express what those places and experiences mean to them.
Shiv Sondhi
Founder & Facilitator · Waterford School, Sandy UT
A high school sophomore with a drive to connect young people with the environment through creative expression. Growing up near the Cottonwood Canyons, he developed a deep connection to the outdoors through hiking, skiing, and photography.
His vision: that young people don't just learn about the environment, but experience it, document it, and have a voice in shaping its future. Shiv brings together three of his deepest passions — photography, the outdoors, and civic engagement — into a single program built for students like him.
Photography
Civic Engagement
Environmental Advocacy
Student Ambassadors
Youth Leadership
- Shiv Sondhi, Founder
Find your Voice
JOIN
No experience needed. Just bring your curiosity and a love for the outdoors. Fill out the form and Shiv will reach out within a week to talk through which session fits you best.