Waves of Change: Using Photovoice to Reimagine Equity in Marine Science

Intersecting Critical Race Theory with Culturally Responsive Evaluation approaches provides evaluators support in resisting the status quo by reimagining equity initiatives that favor the nourishing of a collective front that can dismantle oppressive and exclusionary spaces. The evaluand in this study is the Black in Marine Science Tidal Wave Program. To meaningfully engage participants and invite the authentic sharing of stories, the evaluation team utilized Photovoice, a participatory method in which participants can explore, represent, and support their community(ies) through photographs. Along with taking and sharing photographs with the evaluation team, participants were invited to share written reflections to support participant-driven data analysis. Three themes emerged from our analysis: reinvigoration, authenticity, and representation. The presenters will discuss the theoretical framing of the evaluation project, the application of PhotoVoice as a method, and implications for this work that attendees can incorporate into their respective practices.

Ayesha Boyce; Camille Gaynus; Tiara Moore