| Session Title: Taking Photovoice Online: Lessons Learned From an Innovative Evaluation of a Youth Leadership Training |
| Multipaper Session 635 to be held in Oceanside on Friday, Nov 4, 10:45 AM to 11:30 AM |
| Sponsored by the Qualitative Methods TIG |
| Chair(s): |
| Pennie Foster-Fishman, Michigan State University, fosterfi@msu.edu |
| Abstract: Photovoice is an increasingly popular method for engaging disenfranchised populations in participatory action research and evaluation processes. One benefit of this method is its flexibility: evaluators can adapt multiple elements of the photovoice methodology to meet evaluation, contextual, and participant needs. The concern, however, is whether these adaptations preserve the intent of this methodology: participant empowerment, knowledge generation, and the promotion of community change. Another consideration with the adoption of photovoice is the breadth of engagement it fosters. The traditional photovoice method is not readily adaptable to larger scale evaluations, with projects typically involving relatively small samples (median size of 13 participants; Catalani & Minkler, 2009). The purpose of this two-paper session is to describe one evaluation project that was designed, in part, to pilot test a modification of the photovoice methodology that would foster broader participant engagement while still preserving the quality participatory processes needed to achieve critical outcomes. |
| The West Virginia National Youth Leadership Initiative Online Photovoice Project |
| Pennie Foster-Fishman, Michigan State University, fosterfi@msu.edu |
| Lauren Lichty, Michigan State University, lichtyla@gmail.com |
| The National Youth Leadership Initiative (NYLI) fosters the development of youth leaders and supports local communities' involvement of youth in drug and crime prevention efforts. Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA), Community Connections, Inc., and Michigan State University partnered to undertake the first year-long, state-wide NYLI. Photovoice was integrated into the West Virginia NYLI to provide additional space for youth to develop shared understanding of the local community and the problems youth face, build their skills and capacities, develop critical consciousness, and identify strategies for taking action. In addition to surveys and focus groups, photovoice was also employed over time to document shifts in how youth conceptualized their social problems as a result of the NYLI training. In this session, we will describe the overall project, the challenges a state-wide, long-distance project poses to the photovoice method, and how adopting an online photovoice methodology supported participant engagement. |
| Lessons Learned from a Blog-based Photovoice Project |
| Lauren Lichty, Michigan State University, lichtyla@gmail.com |
| Pennie Foster-Fishman, Michigan State University, fosterfi@msu.edu |
| Mariah Kornbluh, Michigan State University, kornblu4@msu.edu |
| Jenny Mortensen, Michigan State University, morten19@msu.edu |
| Matt Pollard, Michigan State University, pollar48@msu.edu |
| Sara Hockin, Michigan State University, hockinsa@msu.edu |
| This session will describe the lessons learned from one evaluation project that was designed, in part, to pilot test a modification of the photovoice methodology that would foster broader participant engagement while still preserving the quality participatory processes needed to achieve critical outcomes. To support a mixed method evaluation of a year-long youth leadership training program, we employed blogs as a novel method of engaging over 120 youth across one state in photovoice. This session will describe our online photovoice methodology, strategies used to engage youth in this method, and the quality participatory processes we adopted in an online format to foster critical reflection and dialogue and to promote action. Successes, struggles, and lessons learned from this online photovoice evaluation project will be discussed in detail. |