Abstract

This thesis examines how photovoice as a methodology can be used in a digital era to connect rural youth with their environment. To give agency to rural youth and empower the participants in our environmental crisis, I developed a photovoice workshop to foster a caring relationship with nature by anchoring my approach in environment pedagogy, place-based learning and Paulo Freire's theory of critical-action, critical-consciousness, and active learning. Using an adaptation of Caroline Wang and Mary Ann Burris' photovoice methodology, I adopted Aboulkacem et al.'s (2021) photovoice 2.0 method to address digital photography and the necessity for visual literacy. I facilitated a photovoice workshop for Grades 5 to 8 at a small community two hours north-west of Montreal, Quebec. The workshop was a 6-week extra-curricular activity held in the school library twice a week during the participant's 55-minute lunch break. The workshop's theme was the environment as we explored the forest behind the participant's school to engage in an eco-responsible relationship through photography and group discussions. The outcome was a group exhibit installed in the participant's school, where they invited the local and school community to attend their vernissage.

Keywords: photovoice, environment, photography, visual literacy