Picture Me is a series of programs currently under development to empower youth to become active participants in community-based prevention efforts to create healthier communities. The programs are based on a process called “Photovoice,” which teaches youth to operate cameras and take pictures of the strengths, weaknesses, and/or specific issues in their communities. These photos and youth-generated captions are then presented to the public in a variety of different ways (e.g., poster exhibits, online presentations) to raise awareness and influence decision makers to support laws, policies, and other strategies for producing healthy community change.

Picture Me Alcohol Free (PMAF) is one of the programs under development with a grant from the National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. In this project, youth will focus their attention on using photographs to raise awareness of the problems associated with underage alcohol use. The program will cover the effects of underage alcohol use, as well as strategies that youth can use to influence policy change.

Picture Me Tobacco Free (PMTF) is another program under development in the series that focuses on addressing the influence of tobacco use on youth and their community. In a pilot program conducted in collaboration with Center for Health and Healing of the General Baptist State Convention (the GBSC is an association of 2,000 African American Baptist congregations located throughout North Carolina) youth used the Picture Me process to raise awareness and mobilize stakeholders to address tobacco issues at the local and state levels. Some of the youth used the Picture Me process to: increase tobacco awareness through earned media coverage in local newspapers, champion petitions and appeals to local businesses and restaurants to become smoke free, distribute smoke-free home pledges to parents, organize public displays of photo exhibits containing smoke-free appeals, and champion the development and dissemination a Smoke-free Church Grounds movement.

Key features of Picture Me programs:

• One of few programs that empower youth to get involved as community experts and agents of local change
• Innovative online training program to teach Photovoice method, topic/drug-specific content, and youth advocacy skills
• Photovoice website for uploading photographs and producing online photo exhibits
• Facilitator guide
• Adaptable for use with high school classes (e.g., health, photography), clubs (SADD-Students Against Destructive Decisions), and community organizations (health departments, Boys and Girls Clubs, churches, not for profit agencies)
• Potential to contribute to the health and well being of youth, as well as increase the capacity of communities to employ comprehensive strategies to target substance use and related problems
• Alcohol and tobacco versions under development