Rod Joseph Rodriguez

The project’s purpose is to present to 11^th and 12^th grade students the medical heroine named Henrietta Lacks (1920-1951), a key figure in the humanities, science, and medical research whose care, consent, dignity and health were compromised due to discriminatory racism, inequality, inequity and injustice. Building on research about Lacks, students will engage in a seminary-style discussion and luncheon with two local scholars focused on healthcare issues related to consent, dignity and ethics. Students will then design a Photovoice Project through a community and youth-led participatory action research method that involves creating a research question, setting up a research plan, considering uses of technology and devices, seeking consent from legal adults, seeking assent from legal minors, conducting conversations and interviews, collecting data and artifacts, applying coding techniques for themes and presenting digital storytelling as research.