WHAP! is a collective of nine women students from the Community Health and Media Design programs at Hostos Community College in the South Bronx. During the spring semester Professor Karen Winkler of Community Health and Professor Sarah Sandman of Media Design, spent the semester leading the WHAP! collective in conducting Participatory Action Research (PAR) to investigate health issues of women at Hostos. PAR involves participant-researchers in critical reflection on every aspect of the research process. Essentially, students were conducting research on their own lives rather than an outsider coming in to research them.
The result of the semester's research culminated in an exhibition presenting what they learned through focus groups, interviews, journals, and photographs they took of themselves and their communities. The desired outcome is that exhibit helps create change by stimulating conversation about women’s health needs at Hostos (and maybe even be the impetus for creating a much needed Hostos Women’s Health Center!)
The Women’s Health Action Project was funded by the City University of New York Research Foundation to enable educators to learn creative ways to teach Hostos students to do research that can inform community action. The WHAP! team demonstrated the utmost bravery in sharing their intimate stories and photographs that fill this exhibit.
The exhibit is up until May 28th.
Hostos Community College
500 Grand Concourse
Bronx, NY
11238
