Homeless Youths’ Interests in Social Action via Photovoice

ABSTRACT

Engaging homeless youth in services is challenging. Novel methods are needed to better retain and empower this population. Photovoice, an innovative form of community-based participatory research, facilitates participants’ use of photography to document their everyday lives and struggles, while advocating for social change. This study examines, among 22 homeless youth, whether and why youth would be interested in participating in Photovoice activities, the types of social issues youth would be motivated to explore, and homeless youths’ opinions about committing to a longer-term, group-oriented project. Photovoice may represent promise in engaging marginalized and difficult-to-retain populations.

KEYWORDS:

• Homeless youth
• youth empowerment
• Photovoice
• social change

Funding

This work was supported by the University of Denver Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning;

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the University of Denver Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning;