PBS and The National Association for Media Literacy Education Announce Partnership

PBS and The National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) announced a joint effort to promote the importance of media literacy education. Kicking off on Media Literacy Week, October 21 through October 25, PBS and NAMLE will collaborate to advance media literacy professional development for PreK-12 educators across the country.

Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create and act using all forms of communication. It is an essential skill that enables critical thinking, effective communication and engaged citizens in today’s world. While media literacy is a crucial component of and builds on the foundations of traditional literacy, it is not often recognized as part of a standard school curriculum. Through this partnership, PBS and NAMLE aim to use the power of their combined resources, expertise and educator networks to ensure that teachers have access to the tools they need to effectively learn and teach these skills.

“In today’s multiplatform environment, media literacy, like social-emotional skills, is a necessary foundation for all other learning,” said Sara Schapiro, Vice President of Education, PBS. “NAMLE has been a leading voice in media literacy awareness and education for many years, and we’re thrilled with this opportunity to bring our communities and resources together to further empower educators and their students through this vital proficiency.”

As part of this partnership, PBS and NAMLE will encourage educators to pursue the free PBS Media Literacy Educator Certification by KQED. Launched in 2018, this competency-based certification is available to PreK-12 teachers. In addition, PBS and KQED offer self-paced online courses for educators to advance their knowledge and use of media in the classroom. Courses help educators develop the competencies needed to complete the certification, including the ability to create original content using multiple media production techniques, share original media on a variety of online platforms designed to reach specific audiences, implement lessons that help students foster media skills and more.

“Media literacy is an essential life skill in the 21^st century and at NAMLE our mission is to see this skill be highly valued and practiced in schools by fostering critical thinking and effective communication for empowered media participation,” said Michelle Ciulla Lipkin, Executive Director, NAMLE. “By partnering with PBS, we’ll be able to get closer to this goal by tapping into PBS’ wide community of PreK-12 educators and local stations, which have invaluable insight into community and educator needs.” 

In addition to co-promoting the free PBS Media Literacy Educator Certification by KQED, PBS and NAMLE will share expertise on media literacy educational initiatives and collaborate to expand the practice of media literacy across the U.S.

About PBS
PBS, with more than 330 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and digital content. Each month, PBS reaches over 126 million people through television and 26 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’ broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. Decades of research confirms that PBS’ premier children’s media service, PBS KIDS, helps children build critical literacy, math and social-emotional skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. Delivered through member stations, PBS KIDS offers high-quality educational content on TV – including a 24/7 channel, online at pbskids.org, via an array of mobile apps and in communities across America. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the internet. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Pressroom on Twitter.

About NAMLE
The National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) is a national non-profit organization with almost 6,000 individual members and organizational partners, dedicated to media literacy as a critical life skill for the 21st century. NAMLE is a network of educators, scholars, researchers, practitioners, media makers, and thought leaders in the field of media literacy. NAMLE membership for individuals is free. In addition to its annual Media Literacy Week, NAMLE produces a biennial conference. NAMLE’s official publication is the Journal for Media Literacy Education (JMLE), an online, peer-reviewed interdisciplinary journal, with more than 50,000 downloads per year. Sponsorships and organizational partnerships are welcomed at namle.net. Donations to support NAMLE’s efforts to improve, support, and raise awareness for media literacy education can be made here.