Photovoice is a qualitative research method used in community-based participatory research to gather information. Photovoice uses participant photography to guide interviews, and is commonly used in the fields of community development, international development, public health, and education. According to the creators of the process, a photovoice project should aim to: (1) empower individuals to document and reflect on community assets and concerns, (2) invite critical dialogue and create knowledge about important community issues while using photographs as a medium for group discussion, (3) reach policymakers and stakeholders. Generally, photovoice participants attend basic photography training and then take photographs to respond to a prompt. Photos taken by participants are then used as reference material to guide a formal interview. One advantage of photovoice is that, unlike traditional interviews, it does not rely on verbal communication alone. Since photovoice enables participants to respond to an interview question non-verbally, with photographs, it can be used to overcome social, cultural and linguistic barriers to verbal communication. As a result, photovoice can be implemented with participants regardless of age, education level, language, gender, race, class, disability, etc. Photovoice can be used to gather new insights and perspectives that can raise awareness of hidden or overlooked issues and aspects of a given community. Participants are asked to express their points of view or represent their communities by photographing scenes that highlight research themes. Common research themes include community concerns, community assets, social issues, and public health barriers. These photographs are collaboratively interpreted through discussions in both small and large groups, and narratives can be developed that explain how the photos highlight a particular research theme. These narratives are then used to promote dialogue to mobilize and help policymakers better understand and change the community, thereby developing effective solutions and programs that address the issues and needs. Background Photovoice was developed in 1992 by Caroline C. Wang of the University of Michigan, and Mary Ann Burris, Program Officer for Women's Health at the Ford Foundation headquartered in Beijing, China. The idea was built on the foundation that images and words together can effectively express community and individual needs, problems, and desires. In addition, photovoice was strongly influenced by documentary photography, the concept of empowerment, feminist theory, and Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed to promote health education and his idea of critical consciousness. Wang and Burris asserted that “Freire noted that one means of enabling people to