UW Research Project Seeks State Residents Input on Community Needs Through Pictures

The University of Wyoming’s “Profiles in Wyoming Resilience” research project is gathering citizen input to help obtain a better picture -- documented through submitted photographs -- of the opportunities and barriers the Cowboy State’s residents face in the areas of academic attainment, employment opportunities and community resilience, as related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Professor Jean Garrison and Assistant Professor Jason McConnell -- both in the UW School of Politics, Public Affairs and International Studies -- head the project, sponsored by UW’s Malcolm Wallop Civic Engagement Program.

“Our project team cordially invites Wyomingites to provide photos along with short descriptions of what each picture means to you, thus sharing your view of your community,” Garrison says.

People wishing to learn more about the Profiles in Wyoming Resilience research project, and how to share pictures using the free Flickr platform, are invited to participate in Zoom webinars scheduled over the next several weeks. Sessions will be held twice per week Jan. 11 through March 16.

Informational webinars will be held each Tuesday beginning at 5:30 p.m. and at noon each Wednesday. To participate, go to https://uwyo.zoom.us/j/97610186161.

The goals of the Profiles in Wyoming Resilience research project are:

-- To empower Wyoming communities to help one another by identifying common problems and ways to overcome adversity.

-- To provide a way for the public and private sectors to use the project findings to evaluate and guide decisions. The gathered photos and testimonials are an opportunity to create an index of where the barriers and opportunities to academic achievement, employment opportunities and community resilience exist around the state.

-- To help map out where those challenges are not yet addressed and to help share profiles about how citizens see their communities.

For more about the Wyoming resilience project, click here; email wallop@uwyo.edu; or follow on social media through Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. 

For more information about the Malcolm Wallop Civic Engagement Program, visit www.uwyo.edu/wallop/.