The Photovoice Workshop
Photography for Social Change
Welcome to the Photovoice Workshop
An immersive, 12-session experience designed to blend the art of visual storytelling with grassroots social advocacy.
Join Audacity Nadler and Bryan Steiff for a deep dive into the art of visual storytelling for social change. You will gain the theoretical knowledge and technical skills needed to transform the experiences of your community into a powerful project that sparks meaningful community dialogue.
When: 12 Sessions, September 2026 - March 2027 (with a break for winter holidays)
Where: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
Who: Change-makers in Social Sector, Nonprofit, or Advocacy Work
Format: In-person, hands-on learning lab
The Challenge: Amplifying Marginalized Voices
Social sector organizations fill gaps, advocate for the underserved, and lift up the voices of the marginalized. To do this effectively, organizations need powerful, innovative tools that don't just speak for communities, but empower communities to speak for themselves.
Our Solution: The Photovoice Workshop
In this workshop, you will explore the intersection of art and activism, choosing a specific social sector to analyze, document, and champion. By combining technical photography skills with critical social analysis, you will move from a passive observer to an active visual narrator.
You will walk away with a completed photovoice project and the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to use this method independently to drive future civic engagement.
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
Apply basic techniques to read, interpret, and create compelling narratives through the medium of photography.
Summarize the historical role of documentary photography in driving major social movements.
Apply the theoretical principles of Photovoice to develop a comprehensive, actionable project plan for a specific social sector.
Produce a completed Photovoice project that dynamically highlights what has been accomplished and what still needs to be done within your chosen community sector.
Who Should Attend
This workshop is designed for mission-driven individuals and teams who want a creative, community-centered approach to advocacy.
Social Sector Professionals & Non-Profit Leaders: Staff members from organizations that are actively filling community gaps, advocating for the underserved, and lifting up the voices of the marginalized.
Community Organizers & Activists: Change-makers looking to blend art and grassroots activism to document local realities, challenge systemic issues, and spark meaningful dialogue.
Public Sector & Field Researchers: Individuals interested in mastering photovoice as a participatory action research method to gather qualitative, community-led insights.
Storytellers & Content Creators: Purpose-driven creators who want to build foundational skills in visual narrative, framing, and composition to amplify the experiences of the communities they serve.
Notes to Participants:
Because Photovoice is a deeply collaborative, participatory method, we highly encourage organizations to send pairs or small teams to build a shared toolkit for future community projects.
No advanced photography experience or high-end equipment is required for this course. A standard smartphone or basic digital camera is perfectly sufficient to create a deeply powerful story.
About the Hosts
Audacity Nadler, Ed.D. (they/them)
Founder and Director, Authentic Evaluation
authenticevaluation.com
Audie Nadler holds an M.A. in psychology from San Diego State University and an Ed.D. in organizational leadership from Grand Canyon University. A psychology professor turned evaluator, they founded Authentic Evaluation on the principle that rigorous program evaluation is grounded in justice, equity, and—if you can believe it—fun!
Audie works at the intersection of statistics and social justice, supporting nonprofits, public programs, and Indigenous-serving organizations in designing evaluation that is culturally responsive, practical, and honest.
Bryan Steiff, Ed.D. (they/them)
President and Lead Evaluator, Authentic Evaluation
authenticevaluation.com
Audie Nadler holds an M.A. in psychology from San Diego State University, and an Ed.D. in organizational leadership is a psychology professor turned evaluator, and the founder of Authentic Evaluation.
They work at the intersection of statistics and social justice, supporting nonprofits, public programs, Indigenous-serving organizations, and foundations in designing evaluation that is culturally responsive, practical, and honest.
Audie believes evaluation should not just satisfy requirements, but also support missions, empower teams, and tell the full story of impact and need.
Workshop Outline
Module 1: Inspiration & Theory
Session 1: Introduction to Photovoice
Focus: Course orientation and community building.
What we'll do: Define the core philosophy of Photovoice. Participants will discuss the power of visual media, establish ethical guidelines for taking photos of people/communities, and begin brainstorming the social sector they wish to explore.
Session 2: Foundations of Visual Narrative & History
Focus: Analyzing the historical intersection of camera and community.
What we'll do: Survey the historical role of documentary photography in driving major social movements. Participants will learn how to "read" an image for subtext, emotion, and bias, gaining foundational skills to build their own visual narratives.
Module 2: Planning & Technical Skill-Building
Sessions 3 & 4: Project Planning and Technical Photography Skills
Focus: Designing the blueprint and mastering the toolkit.
What we'll do: Participants will learn photography and evaluation skills to support their photovoice project, and draft a concrete project plan tailored to their chosen social sector.
Photography Skills: A deep dive into basic photography techniques (lighting, framing, composition, and perspective). Participants participate in hands-on practice sessions to learn how technical choices change the emotional impact of a narrative.
Evaluation Skills: Learn to design strategic photo prompts that guide participants to capture insight-rich images, and discover how to ask targeted questions that turn visual stories into usable, rigorous data.
Module 3: Fieldwork & Execution
Sessions 5–7: Plan Implementation, Support, and Problem-Solving
Focus: Taking the camera to the field.
What we'll do: participants spend these weeks actively executing their project plans in the community. Class time transitions into a supportive lab environment. Instructors provide individualized mentorship, facilitate peer feedback, and help participants troubleshoot logistical, ethical, or technical challenges that arise during fieldwork.
Module 4: Synthesis & Showcase
Session 8-10: Data Interpretation and Summarization
Focus: Selecting images and crafting the message.
What we'll do: participants review photos, applying analyses to images. They will select the images and narratives that clearly articulate the social sector's current accomplishments and urgent needs for change.
Sessions 11 & 12: Final Presentations and Closing Reflections
Focus: Sharing the work and looking forward.
What we'll do: The workshop culminates in a showcase. Participants present their final Photovoice projects, articulating their insights and advocacy goals. Session 12 concludes with a reflective debrief on the experience, exploring how participants can carry these tools forward into future social change efforts.