Today more than ever, images bombard and envelop us. Yet many of these images no longer touch us. Rarely do we get to see inside "the real lives of real people." Photovoice is a creative vehicle used to depict the daily experiences, challenges, and opportunities around us, and open our eyes to the lives and needs of others in our community. Photovoice captures the realities of daily life by the people who live it.

The project was a fun and positive self-help strategy for an adolescent girls program and was funded by the Heinz Endowments Summer Youth Philanthropy Project. The Photovoice project used creative expression to explore and challenge the standards of beauty that surround young women each day. For six weeks, teens representing eight family support centers from communities around the area attended meetings at the OCD. Armed with digital cameras, they documented their thoughts on body image, individuality, health, and self-worth. Through socialization, discussion, and photo critique, the group explored what makes us each unique and strong individuals who are healthy and beautiful inside and out. The teens who contributed to the Photovoice project truly embody strong young women with the power to do anything, as seen by their photography and narratives that document their perspectives on these important and timely issues.