In 2016, the Youth Leadership Council embarked on a process called Photovoice to capture in pictures what Licking County was all about. Photovoice allows people – usually those with limited power – to use video and/or photo images to capture aspects of their environments and experiences and share them with others. Pictures, usually with captions from the photographers, bring the realities of the photographers’ ideas of the community to the public and policy makers to spur change. On April 7, 2017 Beyond the Lens: A Photovoice Analysis of Licking County opened to a large crowd. An official report and academic paper will be available to the public in summer of 2017.

As a participatory action research project, Photovoice uses a qualitative research methodology as an assessment tool and a way to gather data and evaluate a community.

Photovoice has three main goals:

  • Help those with no voice to be heard in a community. Helping them reflect on their communities’ conditions – positive and negative.
  • To encourage critical consciousness. Through choosing, discussing and reflecting on the photos, photographers can come to a clear understanding of the their circumstances and the economic, social, psychological, and political factors that impact them.
  • To bring about change that will improve conditions and enhancing lives by influencing policy makers.

Acknowledgements & Appreciations

We would like to extend a special debt of gratitude to the following individuals for their support and assistance in producing Photovoice:

  • Tania Basta, Ph.D., Associate Professor, College of Health Sciences & Professions, Ohio University
  • Juan Jose Bernabe, Undergraduate Student, Denison University
  • Ciara Martin, Graduate Student, College of Health Sciences & Professions, Ohio University
  • Michael S. Morris, Director of Fine Arts Programming, Denison University
  • Micaela Vivero, Associate Professor, Department of Studio Art, Denison University
  • Jonathan Vega, Coordinator, Denison Art Space in Newark, Denison University
  • Sheilah Wilson, Associate Professor, Department of Studio Art, Denison University
  • Scott Koebel and members of the Newark High School Key Club
  • Ethan Pound and member of the YES Clubhouse

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