Diversity of Thought

Using the leading question, “What does Diversity of Thought mean to me?” local teens captured their everyday realities through the art of photography and storytelling. This collection reflects different thoughts and feelings created throughout a competitive process.

Students used the PhotoVoice Methodology which is a process by which people can identify, represent, and enhance their community through a specific photographic technique.

The three main goals of PhotoVoice are:

• Enable individuals to document and reflect on their personal and community strengths and concerns.

• Promote critical discourse and knowledge about vital community concerns through group discussions of photographs.

• Reach policymakers and individuals in the community who can influence change.

Curated by the DuPage County ACT-SO students and organized by the creative.unity Mentorship Program, Diversity of Thought features pieces collected from students and their mentors participating in the 2021-2022 NAACP ACT-SO Competition season from October 2021 to April 2022. This collection was chosen by the mentorship program director, who is also a trained PhotoVoice Facilitator who guided the students through the process.

The NAACP's Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) is a yearlong achievement program designed to recruit, stimulate, and encourage high academic and cultural achievement among African-American high school students. ACT-SO includes 29 competitions in STEM, humanities, business, and performing, visual and culinary arts.

The creative.unity mentorship program is sponsored in part by the DuPage Foundation Community Needs Grant Program.