A Photovoice Participatory Evaluation of a School Gardening Program through the Eyes of Fifth Graders
Catherine Sands, Lee Reed, Krista Harper, Maggie Shar
Practicing Anthropology
Urban Farm DB summary
In spring 2008, a grassroots organization called Fertile Ground conducted a participatory Photovoice evaluation of its school garden program with fifth-grade students at Williamsburg Elementary School in rural western Massachusetts, United States. Photovoice places cameras in participants' hands so they document and discuss their own concerns and perspectives. The project aimed to capture what students, after six years of hands-on garden programming, understood about food, nutrition, and community food systems, and their impressions of leadership, fellowship, and care for land and community. The article outlines the evaluation's context and design but does not report specific quantitative findings.