When the parents at El Sol Science and Arts Academy picked up cameras for a youth wellness project led by the UC Irvine Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health, they didn’t see themselves as researchers or community advocates. They were moms photographing the quiet hardships of daily life: the rough, working hands of a mom juxtaposed against an elegant tapestry, a teen carrying flowers at a bus stop ready to board and get to work, and a child holding words “shall I go to college.”
Once their photographs went on display for the school community to see, in what is called a photovoice project where participants use photos to share their narrative, what emerged were depictions of struggle and resilience. It created a shared understanding among families and teachers. “I didn’t know this was that important,” said a parent. “I was just having fun sharing my story, but now I can see my work as a leader — changing how my kids’ teachers see our community.”
That self-realization is at the heart of LINK for Equity, a school-based, culturally responsive program of trauma-informed care developed by Marizen Ramirez, MPH, PhD, a professor of environmental and occupational health and the inaugural associate dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion at Wen Public Health.
LINK stands for Listening, Intervening, Nurturing and Keeping connections and was created by Dr. Ramirez who brought the program with her from Iowa and Minnesota. She had the opportunity to implement it at El Sol Academy in Santa Ana with the help of funding from the Healthcare Foundation for Orange County. The project’s first iteration was intended to train educators from urban communities in the Twin Cities (MN), tribal lands in greater Minnesota, and rural Iowa to recognize and respond to signs of trauma — while inviting parents to share their lived experiences as part of the implementation process. Since then, and in the more recent El Sol version, it has evolved to include the photovoice method to lift the voices of community members and feature their own photographs and narratives to enhance trauma awareness.
A bridge between families and schools
Adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, are early traumas that can have lasting effects on health and well-being. LINK for Equity aims to interrupt that cycle through empathy, cultural humility, and connection.
With more than two decades of research behind her, Ramirez is focused on enhancing partnerships between universities and the communities they serve to address one of society’s most pressing causes of death and disability — injuries and violence.
Photovoice is trauma-informed by design — it creates space for people to tell their own stories, build collective understanding, and work together through advocacy to make change with the community, not just for the community.”
– Marizen Ramirez, MPH, PhD
“The goal was to co-create something that felt true to this community,” Ramirez said. “Photovoice is trauma-informed by design — it creates space for people to tell their own stories, build collective understanding, and work together through advocacy to make change with the community, not just for the community.”
That process began with listening. The team held focus groups and followed by photovoice. Families met over several months to share and discuss their images, supported by Julie Bautista, a community programs assistant and parent who has worked at El Sol for more than 15 years as a community liaison.
Seeing the community through new eyes
When the photo gallery opened, teachers walked slowly among the images, reading the captions written in Spanish and English. Some photos depicted joy — parents holding their children, families clasping hands — but others showed deeper struggles: discrimination, isolation, and mental-health challenges.
One parent wrote, “Depression or loneliness? Many times, we don’t realize what our teenagers go through. As parents, we must be aware of every change they undergo.”
Another reflected on colorism and belonging: “The color, the inequality, and what identifies me as a dark-skinned Latina—and sometimes the rejection of not being accepted.”
For many teachers, the gallery changed how they understood their students’ behavior. “It helped them see the whole child,” Bautista said. “Instead of asking, ‘What’s wrong with this student?’ they began asking, ‘What happened to this student?’”
Training that starts with empathy
After the gallery walk-through, 55 El Sol staff members joined a three-hour LINK for Equity training led by Dr. Ramirez, PhD student Bao Nhia Xiong, and two motivational-interviewing experts who imparted skills in active listening, affirmations and open-ended questions. The session covered trauma-informed care, psychological first aid, and interactive practice in empathy-based communication that motivates youth to engage in strategies to promote positive coping and healing. Teachers completed pre- and post-training surveys measuring attitudes about trauma sensitivity and their sense of connectedness with students.
Counselors now visit classrooms to model reflective listening, a change that Bautista said is reshaping the school’s culture. And at El Sol, the work doesn’t end when the cameras are put away.
The school’s Mercado, a community food and resource hub serving families across three counties, keeps relationships alive year-round. Families can pick up groceries, borrow blood-pressure monitors, or get help applying for health services.
Each summer, El Sol hosts dinners where families share meals, games, and conversation. This year, families were also able to experience the photovoice display during the gatherings. The school has also created a permanent gallery, which is continually being updated with new photos and stories.
A growing movement
The success at El Sol has inspired similar LINK for Equity projects at Samueli Academy and with Project Vietnam. Ramirez and her team are already building upon this year’s momentum. A new grant from the Healthcare Foundation will fund parent advocacy training and a youth-led Photovoice project — passing the camera, quite literally, to the next generation.
El Sol Academy Photovoice Project
