Local high school students in Teen Outreach Program showcase pictures of community health issues

Local high school students involved in Boone County's Teen Outreach Program (TOP) will showcase pictures that focus on community health issues on Monday, May 7.

The pictures, encapsulated within a project called Photovoice, provide a way for these students to express their opinions of community health issues through photos and captions. Their pictures will be on display at Shakespeare's Pizza South, 3911 Peachtree Drive, from 6 to 8 p.m. Residents are welcome to attend.

Students from Battle High School, Rock Bridge High School, Hickman High School, Douglass High School and Sturgeon High School participated in different areas of Photovoice, including topic discussions, photo taking and creating captions.

"Photovoice is a wonderful opportunity for these local teens to have their voices heard about various community health issues," Public Health Promotion Supervisor Michelle Shikles said. "We encourage dialogue about any health issues that they may be interested in."    

TOP is a national evidence-based youth development program focusing on values, relationships, communication, influence, goal-setting, decision-making, human development and sexuality, and community service learning. The Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services Department partners with the Youth Community Coalition to implement the program locally.