MNet Wins NAWeb 2003 'Educational Internet Site of the Year' Award

OTTAWA, October 23, 2003 – Media Awareness Network (MNet) is proud to be the recipient of the Educational Internet Site of the Year Award presented during the North American Web Conference (NAWeb 2003) held this week at the University of New Brunswick in Frederiction, NB. The NAWeb 2003 Award honours MNet’s bilingual media education site – www.media-awareness.ca – for its innovation, design and contribution to education.

NAWeb is the annual conference of the university-based World Wide Web Courseware Developers Association and was established to encourage innovative and practical uses of the Internet in teaching and learning and extending the reach of existing campuses by creating "virtual" campuses of a unique and exciting nature. The NAWeb Educational Internet Site of the Year Award is open to all educational Web sites, with the judging panel placing a premium on innovation, creativity, and practicality.

“New technology and media such as the Internet are revolutionizing the way people absorb, learn and present information, and in our view MNet’s site is a world leader in terms of providing an online environment and resources to help educators and students participate effectively in this new education environment,” said Ronald F. Smith, NAWeb Awards Chair and Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

Jan D’Arcy, MNet’s Executive Director, underlined the importance of the Award for this non-profit media education pioneer: “NAWeb is one of the most prestigious awards for educational Web sites, and we’re thrilled to have earned this important endorsement for our site and the media education resources it offers educators and students. It is an important recognition of MNet’s learner-centred approach to helping young people develop critical thinking skills in their use of media.

On hand to accept the award on behalf of Media Awareness Network were Christiane Vaillancourt of Rogers Cable Inc. – an MNet Gold Sponsor and committed supporter of media education, and Sandra Mitchell of the New Brunswick Department of Education – representing the education sector, which is the largest user group for MNet’s online resources.

For a 90-second tour of MNet’s award-winning site, visit: /promo/index.cfm. For additional information about NAWeb 2003, go to: http://www.unb.ca/naweb/03/callawards.html.

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Contact:
William Allen
MNet Director, Communications
613-224-7721

Media Awareness Network (MNet) is a non-profit Canadian organization whose mission is to support and encourage media education, and its widest possible integration into Canadian schools, homes and communities. Our aim is to help people, particularly children and youth, to develop an informed and critical understanding of the nature of the media, the techniques used in creating media products, and the media’s role and influence within society.