The CCFE needs you – Pilot Project 2012.
April 8, 2012 by Joe Fogarty
The Campaign for Commercial-Free Education is seeking to develop a pilot project on media literacy to be offered to Irish schools later in 2012.
A 2007 report on “Critical Media Literacy in Ireland” found the subject to be of low status, frequently overlooked and poorly resourced within Irish schools.
We want to begin to change this and particularly raise awareness of the presence and effect of commercial advertising in the lives of young students.
By focussing attention on ads, logos, branding, sponsorship, jingles and product placement in our everyday lives we hope to make students aware of the prevalence of commercial marketing. By inviting them to refelect on what ads they feel are most effective we want to make them aware of the techniques and strategies being used by marketers to target young ”consumers” – cartoon characters, collectibles, humour, music and audio effects, creation of desire etc.
This project is still in the planning stage but at present we envisage either a series of lesson plans to be promoted to teachers or a project competition whereby students could research this area and submit their work for adjudication and comment from our judges.
If you are a parent, teacher, student or just a supporter of the idea of Commercial-Free Education and would like to contribute to a positive initiative to prepare kids to better understand the array of advertisement that is beamed towards them, we’d love to hear from you. Send an email to the campaign through the contact us section of the site – if you have ideas, expertise, time or any resources at all your contribution will be most appreciated.
