Photovoice (PV) is a way to get young people engaged in their communities and be featured as “experts on their own lives”. The process involves giving youth cameras they can use to document the realities of their day-to-day experiences and highlight the strengths and challenges within their communities. The photographs they take and the stories that emerge from small group discussions around the pictures are used to engage in important discussions with policymakers, community leaders, and power brokers within the community in order to promote positive change.
This guide by the Finding Our Way team provides helpful strategies based on lessons learned from the youth who participated in their photovoice project as well as from knowledge they gained from the day-to-day experiences of implementing a photovoice project.
In this guide you will learn:
- How to prepare for implementing PV in your community
- What materials are needed
- Strategies for engaging youth in discussions among themselves and with community leaders to affect change
- What “photo ethics” issues need to be reviewed with youth
- About additional readings and resources for understanding the principles and concepts of PV
Population of focus: Youth
Link to resource: “I bloomed here”: A Guide for Conducting Photovoice with Youth Receiving Culturally- and Community-based Services (pdf)
Date: 2013
Organization: Research and Training Center for Pathways to Positive Futures, Portland State University