Media literacy is the term referring to the acquisition of skills and competencies for the use of modern media of all types. Media literacy includes all these skills and competencies required to access, analyze, evaluate and create information in media, communicate with others, and behave in social media, in a safe and responsible manner. Extensive work has been done during the last decade to promote media literacy in schools and to students. However, there is a gap between media literacy and parents' education. Parents are the most important role models for their children regarding media usage. Hence why the MeLi project’s main objective was to bridge this gap and develop media literacy skills and competencies for parents.
The MeLi: Media Literacy for Parents project aims to promote media literacy for adult citizens, by equipping them with knowledge and tools to interact with new media in a critical manner. Specifically, it aims to guide parents on how to protect their children from dangers related to the use of the internet, social media, and online games. The project has been implemented in 6 European countries by the following 7 partners: Fundacja Mapa Pasji (Poland, coordinator), European Digital Learning Network (Italy), Emphasys Centre (Cyprus), IDEC S.A. (Greece), EPA – European Parents’ Association (Austria), and HeartHands Solutions (Cyprus).
In order to achieve the aims and objectives the partnership has developed 3 main results:
- A Training Programme on Media Literacy for Parents which is divided into 3 levels: Basic, Intermediate and Advanced
- A ML4P Web Application which contains a pool of resources and activities regarding media literacy, that parents and children can complete at home.
- A Media Literacy Guide for Parents that includes a summary of all the key points and information addressed in the Training Program. This Guide can also be used as a handbook for trainers that wish to conduct workshops with parents.
- Other activities completed by the partnership:
- Workshops for parents in Cyprus, Greece, Poland, Austria, Italy, and Bulgaria (125 parents in total).
- 2 Webinars for parents
- 6 Multiplier Events
- 1 Banner &1 leaflet
- 5 Newsletters
- 4 Transnational project meetings
- 6 Facebook group communities: https://www.facebook.com/meliforparents/groups
If you are interested to find out more about the project please visit the project website and make sure to follow the project Facebook account.
Emphasys Centre is proud to participate in the MeLi project along with the rest of the European Organisations. Emphasys Centre began operating in 1998 and currently operates as an ICT Educational and Vocational Centre as well as a European Research Centre. The organization closely cooperates with various organizations in Europe for the implementation of EU projects. Emphasys Centre is approved by the Cyprus Ministry of Education and Culture as an Educational and Vocational Centre specializing in the field of ICT.