The Texas School Safety Center Hosts Photovoice Contest to Create Safer Schools

The Texas School Safety Center (TxSSC) is encouraging students to use their voices to create impactful change. Youth Voices: Preparing Today for a Safer Tomorrow is a Photovoice Contest that aims to highlight youth experiences and opinions on how they can help create safer schools.

Photovoice is a process where people use photos to capture aspects of their environment and experiences and share them with others. The pictures and captions written by each photographer can be used to shine a light on sensitive topics and create change.

The top 25 entries from each prompt will be featured in an exhibit at the 2024 Texas School Safety Conference in June.

About the Texas School Safety Center at Texas State University

The Texas School Safety Center believes in young people’s ability to contribute to and be part of the solution when creating safe schools. When young people are provided with training, support, and opportunities to engage their peers, they can help reduce violence and create a positive school climate.

TxSSC developed a statewide program focused on engaging middle and high school students in school safety initiatives to shine a light on what students see. The Safe School Teen Ambassadors program provides youth an opportunity to work on initiatives such as campus safety, building connectedness and positive social norms among their peers, and increasing awareness about the dangers of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other drugs.

Here’s what you should know about the contest:

Prompts

1. What does a safe school look like to you?
2. What needs to be done to make your school safer?
3. If given all the resources needed to create a safe school environment, what would these resources look like and what would you do with them?

Rules

• Contestants must be in 6th – 12th grade
• A signed parent/guardian consent form must be uploaded with the entry
• Only 1 photo and description per entry is allowed
• Photos cannot contain people
• Photo must be taken by the contestant
• Contestants can submit an entry for one, two, or all three prompts

All images and descriptions submitted will remain anonymous. Submissions selected for the exhibit will show the first name, grade, city, and artwork title. The deadline to submit an entry is Wednesday, May 15, 2024.

If you have questions, reach out to staff at txssc_yi@txstate.edu.