Published June 29, 2023                                                                              By Darlene Muguiro                                                                                    UTEP College of Health Sciences

Earlier this month, the Department of Social Work expanded its partnership with the Universidad Autonoma de Ciudad Juarez (UACJ), providing intensive training in Photovoice for instructors and doctoral students from the university’s Instituto de Ciencias Sociales y Administracion (Institute of Social Sciences and Administration).

Dr. Eva Moya, professor and interim chair for Social Work; Dr. Silvia Chavez-Baray, lecturer for Social Work; Jessica Ayala, LMSW; and Alicia Villarreal, MSW student, facilitated the two-and-a-half day training, “Voices and Images,” on the UTEP campus in the Interdisciplinary Research Building. Fourteen UACJ scholars and an undergraduate Social Work student and BUILDing Scholar participated in the initiative.

Photovoice is a Participatory Action Research method that highlights qualitative data for viewers. The methodology has been used extensively in research, mainly the health sciences and social services fields. During the training period, participants learned about the theoretical underpinnings and practice of the Photovoice method, ethics and safety, and how Photovoice can be used to change policy and improve communities. Moya says the opportunity to provide training in this area, to UACJ scholars and others, is a critical part of the department’s educational outreach efforts in the region.

“We look forward to continuing to work and collaborate with UACJ to maintain our partnership, and to continue fostering education and expanding opportunities for all students and community members on both sides of the border,” she said.

Luis Manuel Tena Muñoz, a UACJ PhD student and Photovoice trainee, said that he was attracted to the opportunity because he wanted to strengthen his qualitative research skills, having previously focused on quantitative research. He says the training is relevant to his professional goals, and he plans to apply what he’s learned immediately.

“I believe I can use this method to make visible the contributions of the international migrant community in transit, in Cd. Juarez, specifically (in relation to) the gastronomic topic,” he said. “This seems very relevant to me, and I now have the skills to carry it out."

Alicia Villareal, MSW candidate and graduate research associate, said she was excited to apply what she had learned about Photovoice from a similar training last summer. Villareal was invited to serve as one of several facilitators during the June 2023 sessions.

“Being on the other end of the training strengthened what I had previously learned,” she said. “This group of participants included educators and social workers, so I felt very supported.”

Villareal, who was recently accepted as a Loretto Justice Fellow with Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, says her experience has helped her realize how important research is in advocacy efforts for communities. She plans to apply what she’s learned in her future career as a social worker.

“I have always been interested in migration because of its complexity and the resiliency that stems from it,” she said. “My professional plan after graduation is to work in the immigration field to assist immigrants and refugees in our border town.”

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Go Miners!

For more information about the Master of Social Work program, please visit: www.utep.edu/chs/sw.