CTSA: Clarkston, GA Vignette
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Community Themes and Strengths Assessment - Photovoice Clarkston is a culturally diverse small city in central DeKalb (GA) County with a population of 5,395; however, the greater Clarkston community's population was estimated at 15,942. Clarkston was originally approached by the Atlanta Regional Commission's premier health initiative because of its rich diversity in age groups, ethnic/racial groups, faith institutions, and housing stock, and because its health status data offered many opportunities for improvement. In addition, Clarkston represents a microcosm of what the Atlanta region as a whole will experience within a few decades. The Clarkston Health Collaborative (CHC) facilitates communication and promotes collaboration throughout the community. Its mission is to establish a platform for community development to facilitate meaningful dialogue among diverse individuals and groups to create the conditions that foster healthy people in healthy communities. With the leadership of the DeKalb County Board of Health (BOH), a group was formed to guide a demonstration of community development that could lead to improved health and well being among local residents. For three years, CHC listened to the community's needs and found that it lacked information on adolescent needs and perceptions. The BOH then implemented the Photovoice concept (developed by Caroline Wang) on behalf of the CHC. The Photovoice concept provides a method for describing the community from the viewpoint of those who live there as opposed to those who govern it. It takes into consideration the fact that outsiders' perception of the community may differ from the community's perception. Using this framework, all perceptions are acknowledged as important. In Clarkston, the Photovoice concept was used as part of needs assessment, asset mapping, and evaluation. Through a partnership with Clarkston High School, the BOH hired eight students to implement the Photovoice concept. The students identified their concerns, then traveled around Clarkston taking pictures of what was important to them. They used the photos to produce a PowerPoint presentation and a book that reflected their views of the community. The findings were presented to CHC and the BOH in August 2000. The youth identified five main concerns:
The assets they identified within the community were diversity and the fire and police departments. At the end of the Photovoice program, the students felt more empowered with an increased awareness of the community in which they live. They were also more willing to volunteer to make their community a safe and healthy place.
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