WKU’s Center for Environmental and Workplace Health (CEWH), Lifeskills Center for Childwelfare Education & Research (LCCWEAR), and the Institute for Rural Health (IRH) hosted an event, the Photovoice Project, to engage WKU students with community professionals.  

Photovoice is a process in which participants use photo images to share their experiences or express their views about a topic. Ten community professionals provided photographs and quotes for the event, and students were able to view these photographs portraying factors contributing to burnout and well-being. The event brought together 76 undergraduate and graduate students from multiple WKU disciplines for discussion with the community professionals.  

Dr. Gretchen Macy, Associate Professor, shared "This event was a great way to engage students with community professionals. By creating an environment where students could view visual representations of common factors leading to burnout and ways to promote well-being, students were able to discuss these issues more easily with professionals. The feedback from students has been overwhelmingly positive. Responses indicate they enjoyed interacting with community professionals as well as learned to identify stressors common among CHHS occupations and ways to positively cope with stress.” 

CHHS faculty members who helped facilitate the Photovoice project included Drs. Gretchen Macy, April Murphy, Kim Link, Whitney Harper, and Austin Griffiths. Graduate students Shwe Win and Ashley East with CEWH also assisted with the project, and Mrs. Jacqueline Basham volunteered at the event. 

For more information about the Photovoice Project please contact Dr. Gretchen Macy at gretchen.macy@wku.edu. More information about the CEWH can be found here.  More information about the LCCWEAR can be found here. More information about the Institute for Rural Health can be found here.