PhotoVoice as a community-based evaluation method

INTRODUCTION

The academic-community partnership between the indigenous communities of Santo Domingo Pueblo, White Mountain Apache, Navajo (Tuba City), and the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health (JHCAIH) led to an innovative and holistic nutrition-focused initiative called “Feast for the Future (FFF)” to promote access to nutritious foods and healthy development for American Indian youth, families, and communities.  FFF has multiple components, including an Edible School Garden and community farm where youth, famers and elders are engaged in intergenerational learning about indigenous foods, agriculture, cultural identity, nutrition and health.

APPROACH

To assess the impact of FFF on youth participants, an innovative PhotoVoice evaluation method was facilitated with 4^th and 5^th grade participants in the program from the three sites.  Students were invited to engage in sculpting, drawing, photography, and poetry to inspire critical self-reflection that culminated in a student-created presentation shared with their communities.  Content analysis of qualitative data from the PhotoVoice sessions was completed using thematic descriptions based on open coding.

RESULTS

Forty-five 4^th and 5^th graders participated in PhotoVoice as a community-based evaluation method. Common themes identified from the qualitative data analysis from each of the three communities will be shared, including the role of traditional foods in identity, the place of traditional gardens and farms in current food systems, and vision for the future as expressed by PhotoVoice participants.

DISCUSSION

The PhotoVoice evaluation technique adapted to 4^th and 5^th graders has been found to be an innovative and effective community-based tool to facilitate reflection and community participation.