Photos are often used to document a trip or special event; they capture fleeting moments in time, and often pieces of art as well. A team of teens in Bayfield, CO are using photos in a slightly different way through a specific technique called photovoice. The goal of the EPIC team (which stands for Every Pregnancy is Considered) is to improve the lives of teens in their small town. To do so they are using photographs of everyday occurrences to document the strengths and weaknesses they see in their community.

The photo above seems simple enough--a nice snow covered playground. To the artist however, the park is an example of how there are plenty of community resources dedicated to smaller children in the community, but the teens lack a fun, safe space of their own, and they're just a little too big for the playground. The other photos in the exhibit include pictures of family members who are important to the teens, fun things to do in other surrounding towns that are hard to access without reliable transportation, and how the teens entertain themselves in their town.

The team of talented artists presented at the Colorado Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Parenting, and Prevention's annual conference in Denver, CO. The teens and photos certainly stole the show, and it was great to hear from them directly what they thought might help prevent risky adolescent behavior in their town. The most striking part of the presentation is that it is not just teens telling you what they think--the images allow you to have a sneak peak into their lives. They had a few ideas for what the community might do: a mobile health clinic, a teen center, and reliable, low-cost transportation to nearby towns were a few of the suggestions.

Have you ever used photovoice? How could photovoice serve your community?