Voices of Youth: Podcasting as a Means for Inquiry-Based Community Engagement

Abstract

A youth community informatics (YCI) research project intersected an inquiry learning model with the making of audiovisual podcasts to foster personal growth and community engagement in a group of Mexican American youth enrolled in an afterschool program. Specifically, the article describes the cycle of inquiry together with the development of a project that embraced community inquiry as the core value for community building. Based on the project outcomes, it then recommends ways that community leaders could adopt a collaborative approach to creating spaces in which youth have fun learning new media, enjoy creative expression, take action for community needs, and develop potential for civic engagement by serving their family, friends, and communities.