Media Literacy Week launch empowers youth to be upstanding digital citizens

Winnipeg, MB (Nov. 2, 2015) -- Winnipeg youth, teachers and community leaders gathered today for an engaging morning exploring what it means to be a good digital citizen and how to promote respect online.

The event, held at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, marked the start of the tenth annual Media Literacy Week which runs Nov. 2-6. Hosted by MediaSmarts and the Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF), the theme of the week - Respect in a Digital World -  encourages young people to be responsible and ethical digital citizens by respecting themselves, others and the online spaces they’re in.

At the launch, youth speakers discussed the inspiring and empowering work they are doing using digital technologies to promote social justice issues. Students also took part in hands-on digital workshops hosted by teachers and student leaders.

“We are pleased to celebrate the first decade of Media Literacy Week by promoting the importance of respect in the digital world,” says Cathy Wing, Co-Executive Director of MediaSmarts. “Through the week, we hope to raise awareness of the important role of parents and teachers in encouraging youth to create cultures of civility in online spaces.”

“Teachers have a role in guiding their students to value respect, empathy and compassion in the real and digital worlds. It is through teamwork and communication that they can promote social justice in their community and the world,” says CTF President Heather Smith.

In recognition of the week’s theme, MediaSmarts has released two new workshops on social networking for teens and for parents, made possible with financial support from Bell. Respecting Yourself and Others Online and The Parent Network are freely available for download.

This year, Media Literacy Week has the support of over 100 organizations, including Gold Sponsors Bell and YouTube. Resources for parents, teachers and youth: www.medialiteracyweek.ca. Hash tag: #medlitweek.

MediaSmarts is a Canadian not-for-profit centre for digital and media literacy. Its vision is that young people have the critical thinking skills to engage with media as active and informed digital citizens. mediasmarts.ca @mediasmarts

The Canadian Teachers’ Federation is an alliance of nearly 200,000 elementary and secondary educators through teacher organizations throughout the country. @CanTeachersFed and @EnseigneCanada.

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Contacts:            

Maya Shoucair, Communications Officer, MediaSmarts, 613-224-7721 ext. 231 mshoucair@mediasmarts.ca

Francine Filion, CTF Director of Communications, 613-688-4314 ffili@ctf-fce.ca