What is Photovoice?
Photovoice is a creative arts-based participatory process that puts cameras in the hands of individuals to enable them to share their experiences, perspectives, and stories of volunteerism and service through the use of photography, discussion, and collective action. Throughout our PhotoVoice process, AmeriCorps Seniors and AmeriCorps volunteers use photography to identify, discuss, and represent their community and share their experiences.
Benefits of Photovoice
- Receive a creative volunteer perspective on their service, motivations to volunteer and how to improve AmeriCorps Seniors programming, etc.
- Receive photos and narratives from volunteers to use in promotional and program materials
Our Photovoice Process
- Outreach and recruitment of AmeriCorps Seniors and AmeriCorps State and National volunteers
- Each project takes place over 4-6 sessions, which includes group discussions, training, photo-sharing and the development and presentation of either an individual and/or group photography project.
- All Participants receive digital cameras, a stipend, and training on PhotoVoice, photography skills, and ethics.
Feedback from previous Photovoice participants
"This program gave me the opportunity to share my experience with what I do and have learned being a foster grandparent." - Foster Grandparent in Richmond, Virginia
Recruitment
We are inviting all AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors programs to sign up for our next PhotoVoice projects. We are currently recruiting both in-person and virtual cohorts across Virginia for 2025 for the following dates :
- Winter: January/February 2025
- Spring: March/April/May 2025
If you would like to host a Photovoice project at your organization, or would like an introductory presentation, please fill out this contact form below/email our Community Researcher, Theodora at bineyamisste@vcu.edu.
To learn more about hosting your own Photovoice project, download our recruitment flyer.
Contact Us
Interested in bringing a Photovoice project to your AmeriCorps or AmeriCorps Seniors program? Fill out the contact form (or email our Community Researcher) to get started.
Learn more about our past Photovoice projects and participants:
- AmeriCorps 2024 Convening: Research Insights: Using PhotoVoice to Explore AmeriCorps Seniors Experiences
- Photovoice Participant Stories of Service Feature - https://servevirginia.org/stories-of-service/barbara-johnson/
Our Partners
