Rural adolescents given a voice through aid by Emily Ma and Liyuan Ao
In the summer of 2021, two undergraduate students at Brown University, Emily Ma and Liyuan Ao, embarked on a unique journey to empower middle-schoolers in a rural Chinese province. The students, part of a program funded by the Royce fellowship, collaborated with a school in Gansu, China, using a research method called Photovoice.
The program, an interactive community research method, teaches students to use photography to express their emotions and create socially responsive school communities. The students were equipped with cameras and taught how to use photography to capture thoughts, beginning a journey of self-expression and community transformation.
The students began taking their own pictures and discussing them with the program leaders, both in writing and during weekly video conferences. As the program progressed, students began to choose the themes they wished to explore through images. These themes ranged from their home and school experiences to the challenges they faced, such as infrequent parental contact due to migratory work.
The photos served as a means for students to discuss challenges with decision-makers in their community, including teachers. The solutions for addressing these challenges, the students learned, would be in the hands of the community itself.
Ma and Ao were surprised by how much the students shared through their photography. The students revealed a fuller picture of their experiences, providing insights that might have otherwise gone unnoticed. Ma found the project insightful for understanding the intersections of psychology and health policy, while Ao learned about the empowering effect of telling stories with photographs on students, particularly for improving social and emotional well-being.
The program leaders, including those from the Royce fellowship program, a Swearer Center initiative at Brown University, believe that Photovoice's ability to encourage students to share deep insights makes it a particularly valuable research tool.
As the summer came to an end, Ma and Ao began curating a digital exhibition of the students' work for their school's return in the fall. Witnessing the social and emotional transformation among the students in the pilot program has been the project's most immediate accomplishment for Ma.
The Royce fellowship program helps approximately two dozen student researchers each year collaborate with communities across the country and world. Through initiatives like Photovoice, these students are making a significant impact, fostering change and empowering communities one photograph at a time.
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