Kids use photography to voice neighborhood concerns

Snapshots, worth a thousand words. The tiniest voices in the community are showing they have a powerful point of view.

Diana Hess leads the Neighborhood Resources Connection. In partnership with a class at Notre Dame, and an after school program with Engaging Youth, Engaging Neighborhoods kids and college students were paired up and sent out to take pictures of what they like and what they don’t like in their neighborhood.

“For some of the kids it’s a lack of safe spaces, enough green spaces, spaces for kids to congregate, where they can be with each other and feel safe,” said Hess.

Hess says the project is all about giving youth a voice in the community.

“When you hear them explain why they took the picture, it really allows them to open up and to really think themselves why they think that way about their neighborhood,” said Hess.

The Notre Dame students then made recommendations to the city based on the issues they saw like the lack of crosswalks and street lights.

Around 40 kids have gone through the program in the last few years, they are hoping to expand in the future. Click here for more information.