A media institute for children and youth in Nigeria

The project entails running a Centre dedicated to a new vision of literacy that will provide young people with the skills required for effective participation in development activities, using creative media and creating opportunities for their increased positive presence in media. It also seeks to raise awareness among children, teachers, adults, parents, and policy makers on children's rights and the value of children's participation in community and national development.  WCE is pleased to be working on this project as it is being coordinated by a long-tiime WCE volunteer, Chido Onumah. 

• The Centre will provide media arts and leadership training for young people living in underserved communities;
• The Centre will offer short term courses and training programmes in TV, film, radio, print, documentary and new media for young people between 10 and 18 years to enable them become civically engaged;
• The Centre will provide youth with the knowledge, tools, and relationships they need to create powerful, thought-provoking media on local and international issues that concern them, and to use their media as a catalyst for dialogue and social change;
• The Centre will be an after school resource facility for students so that those children and youth who do not have access to computers, Internet service, etc at home or at school do not feel left out in our increasingly digital world;
• The Centre will provide leadership training, public education, professional development and media education resources for children, youth, teachers, parents and media professionals;
• The Centre will provide training for professional journalists on reporting on children and youth to ensure that their voices heard and their rights are respected;
• The Centre will engage in research on different media and its impact on children’s health, life style, drug abuse, violence, democracy, environment, HIV/AIDS, etc., in Africa.  The outcome of the research will be published to provide a rich source of information and peer perspectives for young people to change their attitudes and behaviours; and for policy makers to develop policies and programmes to enhance children’s rights;
•  The Centre will translate media literacy research and theory into practical information, training and educational tools for teachers and youth leaders, parents and caregivers of children.

Working with the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), the Centre for Media Literacy will coordinate an integrated media literacy project in schools aimed at making students become more empowered media users by not only helping them to make decisions about what to listen or watch, especially when there is no adult supervision but also develop and produce their own media.

With training manuals developed by the Centre as guide, teachers are empowered to help their students to understand and use media.  The Centre will train participating tachers in basic media literacy concepts and technology.  It will also help them develop lesson plans to introduce media education into some of their core subjects.

Deliverables

1. Create a platform for all media literacy activists/enthusiasts.
2. Provide guidelines for the integration of media literacy into the school curriculum for secondary schools and teachers college across Africa.
3. Ensure that the vision and results of the African Centre for Media Literacy (ACML) become as widely known and understood as possible in Africa and all around the world
4. Provide a platform for easy access of articles on media literacy and youth media in Africa.
5.  Provide support for the creation of national policies on media literacy and development of national youth media programmes in different African countries with the aim of educating and enlightening children and youth about the role media play in national development.
6. Through media education workshops/seminars encourage the sharing of "best practices" - knowledge, skills, and activism - among media educators.
7.  Develop and distribute media education information and toolsthat actively encourage critical thinking and free expression, and inspire civic participation in a democratic society.
8. Support local, state, national and globalmedia reform and media justice efforts.
9.  Provide a platform as a clearing house for media literacy initiatives in Africa.
10. Organize media literacy award programs to reward "best practices" by youth media producters and professional journalists reporting on children and youth.

BY CHECK:  If you wish to donate to this shipment via a check on a bank in the USA or Canada,  please include the note "NIgeria-YMCI" on your check and mail it to: WCE 936 Nantasket Ave. Hull, Mass. 02045 USA.

BY PAYPAL:  If you have a PayPal account, you can also give via PayPal if you have set up an account with them (their fee is 2.9%) - please send us an e-mail at Nigeria @WorldComputerExchange.org when you do so it is properly credited.

BY CREDIT CARD:  If you are going to use the Network For Good link below, please enter "Nigeria-YMCI" in one of the boxes on the form. 

We will send you a tax deductible receipt if you are in the USA.  Our affiliate WCE-Canada can send you ar receipt if you donate to them.  We send a cc to Chido Onumah so that he will know who has donated to his project.