NASHUA – While sharing their vision through the medium of photography, young members of Greater Nashua used their eyes to communicate just what the community means to them.

Throughout the summer, officials with the city’s Division of Public Health and Community Services teamed up with organizations throughout the Nashua area – the Boys & Girls Clubs of both Souhegan Valley and Greater Nashua, the Nashua Police Athletic League and 21st Century Nashua – during the fourth annual Photovoice Project as a means of engaging the children participating in programs with their communities.

On Monday, the children’s work was on full display at the Nashua Public Library, with images of the police and fire stations, games and activities, the PAL and Boys & Girls Club buildings — and even the friends posing on VeoRide scooters and in other locations — the project was able to break communication barriers through the visual world of photographs.

“I learned that community is much more than people,” said Mya Santiago, 9, who took pictures of games and friends at the Boys & Girls Club, a place she said she spends a lot of her time.

“I think it’s people together sharing ideas, playing together and stuff,” she added, also saying she really enjoyed how she was able to take all the pictures, while sharing thoughts about the community.

Caleb Thompson, who also attends the Greater Nashua Boys & Girls Club, expressed great joy about the program, while talking about his picture of the library that was on display.

“After I started Photovoice, I thought it was a really good program, like it was awesome,” Thompson said. “I loved doing it; I loved taking pictures.”

“I took a picture of the library because it’s a good community place for families and friends and a lot of people to go if they want to read and do stuff,” he said of his photo.

Thompson said the project also opened his eyes to some of the things in the community that he believes might need more attention from the community.

“It showed me how much people are homeless, and how much people litter on the ground,” Thompson said, citing one time in Mine Falls (Park) when he and his group saw a lighter discarded on the ground.

While teaming up with local organizations, public health officials were able to provide the children with trips to different locations throughout the communities, including Mine Falls, police and fire departments, among others, which showed the children some of the offerings around the area.

With the hopes of engaging the children, in part as a way to prevent future substance abuse, Lisa Vasquez, the city’s Substance Misuse Prevention coordinator, said programs such as Photovoice work to build a healthy connection between children and their community.

“It does give the kids something to do, but this year, we really wanted it to be about community, so we know that kids that are active in their community that feel part of their community are less likely to use substances,” Vasquez said. “We want them not just to know what community is, but to actually participate in the community, so that’s why we did this project.”

Vasquez said the program’s success is only possible with the partnering organizations, who oversee the trips and engage the children with their surroundings.

“It’s really the youth-serving organizations that do the legwork and explore the Greater Nashua area community” she said, “and they are able to engage the kids with their boys and girls communities, their Nashua PAL community, their 21st Century community.”

During the event, the children present were awarded with certificates for participating by Mayor Jim Donchess. He said projects such as Photovoice help children progress and learn about the community, while learning about themselves and the people around them.

“It helps kids to express themselves, to learn about, in this case, community,” Donchess said. “Each kid who put together a project learns about the importance of communities and thinks about their own life, and the importance of the people they know.”

“I just think that it just is a great growing experience for the kids,” Donchess added. “To be able to come down to the library and see your project displayed is very affirmative and just helps support their striving to be a successful adult.”

Mathew Plamondon may be reached at 594-1244, or at mplamondon@nashuatelegraph.com, @telegraph_MatP.