By GAIL LOWE
PHOTOVOICE student photographers showed off their skills in identifying areas in Wakefield that could be improved. They also photographed beautiful landscapes and floral arrangements, all found in Wakefield. (Gail Lowe Photo)
WAKEFIELD — If the old adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” is true, then Wakefield students have written a book.
Last Thursday, students from Wakefield Memorial High School, Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational School and one student from Suffolk University participated in PhotoVoice, a photographic display at the Beebe Library that tells the story about what in Wakefield helps them live a healthy life and what in Wakefield makes it hard for them and their peers to make healthy choices.
At the end of June, the young photographers went out to find scenes in Wakefield that captured their feelings about a lack of places for teens to hang out, underage drinking, littering around Lake Quannapowitt, playgrounds and parks, landscapes and other topics. The teens also photographed places in need of repair, including public fences.
In the process of taking photographs, students were asked to consider what they love about their town. Answers included the multitude of sports and groups available, small town businesses, cultural environment, Farmers Market and the neighborhoods.
The event drew State Reps. Donald Wong and Paul Brodeur, town and school officials and members of the community.
“Youths whose voices are heard are less likely to participate in risky behaviors,” said Catherine Dhingra, Department of Families and Children grant coordinator for WAKE-UP (Wakefield Unified Prevention), which partnered with the project.
Participating students were Erin Murphy, AJ Darcy, Brian Tartarini and Jo Boudreau, Class of 2016 and Lydia Taylor, Eleni Rizos, Katie Murphy and Marissa Hoffman, Class of 2017. Aria Sergany from the Class of 2014 mounted the photographs.
Beebe Library WAKE-UP representative Catherine McDonald oversaw the event and said she was “proud of the students’ accomplishments.”
“Their voices are being heard,” she said. “We need to lower the risk factors and raise the protection factors.”
The project was paid for by a grant from the Wakefield Youth Action Team. Grants range from $250 to $1,000 per project.
