Beyond Tokenism: Youth PhotoVoice as Transformative Evaluation Method in Intergenerational Initiatives

This Think Tank invites participants to explore Mirror Group's innovative application of youth PhotoVoice methodology within the evaluation of Annie E. Casey Foundation's Intergenerational Toolkit initiative. Rather than a traditional presentation, this interactive session will create space for critical dialogue about repositioning young people from subjects to co-researchers in evaluation practice. We'll begin by sharing concrete examples of how youth-generated visual data reshaped our understanding of intergenerational partnership and influenced both toolkit implementation and evaluation design. Facilitators will then guide small-group exploration of pressing questions: How can visual methodologies disrupt power dynamics in evaluation? What ethical considerations emerge when youth-generated data challenges institutional perspectives? How might evaluation artifacts become tools for youth advocacy? Participants will experience elements of the PhotoVoice process firsthand and collaborate to generate principles for authentic youth engagement in evaluation. Join us to reimagine evaluation as a vehicle for youth empowerment rather than merely documenting youth experience.
Click to fill survey.