TAUNTON — High school students at Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School recently held a masquerade-themed Photovoice art exhibit in the school cafeteria to highlight the risks of underage and problem gambling.
According to Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School’s Superintendent-Director Dr. Alexandre Magalhaes, the exhibition, organized in partnership with High Point Prevention Services, featured student photography and written reflections exploring how gambling can affect young people.
“The masquerade theme was deliberate, chosen to capture how gambling-related harm tends to stay hidden and how naming it openly is the first step toward prevention,” Magalhaes said in a statement. Adding, “The Photovoice Project is a youth-led prevention program funded by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Office of Problem Gambling Services. It is one of only a few programs nationwide that uses photography as a prevention tool.”
Through the project, students responded to guiding questions with photography, participated in group discussions and wrote captions based on their experiences. The project also encouraged students to examine how gambling can intersect with other challenges facing young people, including mental health concerns and substance use.
High Point Prevention Services staff Cara Ferguson, Keoscha Pina and Nic Coppola facilitated the program, with support from Bristol-Plymouth School Adjustment Counselor Andrea Trottier.
“The exhibition welcomed students, staff and community members to view the artwork and hear directly from the students behind the project,” Magalhaes said.
Taunton Mayor Shaunna O’Connell delivered introductory remarks. City Councilor Debra Botellio and state Rep. Lisa Field also attended.
“The work our students created through this project shows how thoughtful and engaged they are with real issues affecting young people today,” Magalhaes said. “The students combined art and storytelling to start important conversations about underage gambling and the need for prevention and awareness.”
