Including the Experiences of Children and Youth in Media Education

Abstract

This article explores how the concepts of inclusion and experience can be approached and applied in educating children and youth about the media. Using a multiple-case study approach, we present three cases where media education programs were delivered to students in the Czech Republic. The first case is a three-month-long program aimed at nurturing students’ media literacy and encouraging their civic participation. It involved 17 vocational school students (ages 17–19) at risk of social exclusion. The second case is a three-hour workshop promoting children’s cooperation with their peers and civic engagement with media in a diverse society tested with 60 children (ages 10–11) in three classrooms in two public elementary schools. The third is a year-long media education program based on students’ guided self-reflection on their media experiences, attended by eight students (ages 15–17) at a private high school. Despite numerous differences in the programs (goals, activities, duration, context, student demographics, etc.) and their varied approaches to promoting inclusivity and the whole student experience, we argue that each one has the potential to contribute to creating a more inclusive society that respects diversity. We also believe that longer programs would be more successful in supporting children and youths’ immediate and future well-being.