April 9, 2009 Even though K-12 youth is Shaping Youth's primary focus, this campus controversy caught my eye for the overlap with our own counter-marketing tactics. In a ‘fight fire with fire’ media literacy move straight out of the Shaping Youth playbook, the Media Education Foundation is responding to this week’s University of Maryland campus uproar of whether or not free … [Read more...]
Shaping Youth Via Tapestries of Hope: Go To IndieGoGo!
Last August when Shaping Youth advisory board member and maverick documentary producer/director Michealene Cristini Risley returned from Zimbabwe, she pinged me with a handful of understated words, “Back…quite an experience!” The links told the story…news from AllAfrica.com and Voice of America about Michealene being arrested, tossed in jail, and … [Read more...]
Breaking the Color Code & Princess Power
One of my favorite ‘stereotypes in media’ moments is when I get to use my own background to instill critical thinking skills in teens.At the national Girls For A Change summitfor instance, I had the opportunity to break through race barriers and color codes of perceived expectations by starting off the session asking teens, “Okay, so who was I in high school?” to get the media … [Read more...]