Defining Hope Through Youth Photography in Cape Breton

What if hope could be captured through the lens of a camera? That’s the exact question a Cape Breton University research project is asking, as it explores how youth in Cape Breton see their future and what role community belonging plays in shaping it.

Dr. Colin McLaren, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Experiential Learning in Community and Sport at CBU, is leading a new study that puts the voices of young people at the forefront of community research.

Supported by a RISE Research Grant, his project, Hope in Focus: A Qualitative Exploration of Disadvantaged Youth in Cape Breton through Photoelicitation, aims to explore how social connections and group belonging can help foster hope and resilience among youth in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.

Connecting to Community

“I have been fortunate to work with amazing community members during my time at CBU, and I’ve observed first-hand the powerful effect that a sense of community has on the overall health and well-being of its members,” says Dr. McLaren. “Conversations with community leaders suggested that among CBRM youth, hope for the future is low. Many youth lack the vision of a clear path forward that does not recreate the cycle of poverty and struggle to which they are accustomed.”

As a group dynamics scholar with an interest in community-based youth settings, Dr. McLaren says he wants to know more about the different ways that participating in extra-curricular-focused youth groups can be a vehicle that amplifies hope. 

The larger project began through CBU’s Community Student Research Connection Program, pairing one of McLaren’s research assistants (Tarra Walsh) with Undercurrent Youth Society in Glace Bay. 

“Inspiring hope is Undercurrent’s mandate, so we needed to figure out what it looks like and a way to measure it”, says Trevor Denhartogh, Executive Director of Undercurrent Youth Society. “Through this connection with CBU, we found that hope consists of intentional self-regulation, positive future expectations and most importantly, social connectedness.”

This RISE grant has allowed McLaren and his team to continue this line of work, which has since grown to include a partnership with New Dawn Enterprises. Following an 8-week workshop at Undercurrent Youth Society, there are plans to host an exhibit at the Eltuek Arts Centre from November 14-21, 2025. The exhibit will feature photographs taken by youth participants as part of the research project.

“This research will feature youth voices and use photographs that the youth personally capture to continue the conversation about what hope is and what it looks like – all through the lens of groups and social connections,” says Dr. McLaren.

 

Student Participation

For McLaren, one of the most exciting aspects of the project is the role of CBU students. 

“Students and community members are at the core of my research endeavours,” Dr. McLaren says. “These experiential opportunities are important to link classroom theory to practical research exposure. I feel this is where post-secondary learning comes to life.” 

Undergraduate research assistants are deeply involved in program planning, data collection, analysis and knowledge mobilization, gaining practical experience while contributing to meaningful community-based research.

“During my Bachelor of Arts Community Studies and Bachelor of Social Work degrees, we emphasized a person-centered and strengths-based approach to community,” Libby MacPherson, one of the undergraduate research assistants leading the photography program, says. “Being a photographer myself aligns well with these approaches, and when I’m capturing moments through photography, I feel confident. No one captures something the same way, and I think that’s the beauty of it”.

Beyond the Classroom

The project will also give students opportunities to present the work beyond the classroom. Two undergraduate research assistants, Libby MacPherson and Morganne Musgrave, joined McLaren in August 2025 at the Atlantic Summer Institute’s conference in Charlottetown, PEI, for a workshop titled Fostering Youth Belonging, Resilience and Well-being through Groups – Key to Healthy, Connected Communities.

“Students will continue to learn valuable lessons in community-based relationship building, research ethics, study design, data collection and analysis and importantly, how to actively mobilize research knowledge in an accessible and meaningful way for the community members who contribute to the work,” says Dr. McLaren.

As the research progresses toward its community exhibit, Dr. McLaren emphasizes the broader project goal, equipping youth with resources for mental and physical resilience, underlining the necessity of both defining and inspiring hope in the minds of local youth in the CBRM.

“When someone identifies strongly with the groups in their life, they are afforded social resources that help them overcome barriers and maintain a positive outlook for the future,” Dr. McLaren says. “Social connectedness can serve as a critical tool for supporting the mental health of our youth.”