Zanesville’s Youth Photovoice Exhibit

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – The Youth of Zanesville have spoken about living in this community and they’re letting their pictures do the talking.

The Zanesville Muskingum County Health Department invited the communities youth to participate in this years Community Health Assessment by participating in the Youth Photovoice Project. According to Epidemiologist, Diana Zaato the students were to take photos of the community during their daily routines and submit them. Education Coordinator, Misty Johnson and Exhibition and Collection Manager Sarah Franklin stated that the students shared over 500 photos which are equally negative and positive.

Photo By: Karysa Kent

“I think it’s pretty well-balanced, but I think it was great that they were able to be so honest about their community,” Franklin said.

“How they felt about just what is available in our community and how that relates to the topic of health and we just really saw this blatant honesty,” Johnson said.

The students were between the ages of 12 and 18; which made their outlook of our community eye-opening. Zaato says they saw a lot of activities and places to go for the children and adults in the community, but not for the young adults. The students expressed they’d like a building similar to the Senior Center.

“The space where they could feel free to go in and whether it was doing activities, homework, learning to cook, or just having a safe space to sit and read or do laundry for students who didn’t have these facilities at home,” said Zaato. “That would be one of the things that they did mention.”

To see the exhibit the Zanesville Museum of Art is open from December 1, 2016 to January 3, 2016. Opened Wednesday through Saturday 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. and Thursday 10:00 A.M. to 7:30 P.M.