As we work putting the final touches on the videos produced
by the VideoVoice project participants, we continue to reflect on what we have
accomplished through this process. One of the main things we have learned is
that community leaders are very aware of the health concerns in their
communities. At the same time, local parents and residents seem worried about
the environment in which their children are growing up. Whether it is a school
in proximity to a Brownfields,
or a power plant in the neighborhood, or the safety of a well water source,
all of these are real concerns that have been brought up in our conversations
in the community. There are many unanswered questions regarding the
relationship between the built environment and children’s health. Data gathered
through the National Children’s Study could provide insight and guidance for
developing strategies to reduce the environmental risk of disease in the
future. Our VideoVoice Project Coordinator talks about the lessons from
conducting research in a very neighborhood-oriented city:
However, the NCS goes beyond the physical environment, as it
will also pay attention to social and cultural factors. As an observational
study, the NCS is taking into account child-rearing practices, family
background and composition, maternal and infant nutrition, among many other
factors that may affect a child’s growth and development. Additionally, NCS encourages community involvement in places where the NCS is taking place, here in Cook County and around the country. Maria, one our neighborhood
ambassador, talks about this issue in the clip below:
“Well, I learned a lot about how my community feels, what their fears are, what their strengths are, how they view life, what their motivations are, what is it that precisely keeps us living in the same community. All of that in terms of my community. I also learned to listen a little bit more, to take my time to understand the thought process that people have when they are conversing with you. [I also learned] to understand their motivations, to see from an even more human point of view those motivations that make you live in such a beautiful community like ours. I also learned to feel more secure when talking to people. When doing the interviews, each one gave me more strength, more security, more confidence in finding out what we are thinking, what is going on with us and how can we project that. It was really beautiful.”
