Team Media Literacy is a group of teen and adult volunteers from all over the valley, who desire to change the trend of media shaping young people's attitudes and values about acceptable behavior, their perceptions of what kind of society they live in, their place in society and their expectations of the future. They are trained to provide presentations and education on Media Literacy, in which they teach media consumers how to analyze, access, evaluate, and produce media. Just as children not only need to be taught to read, but also comprehend what they are reading, Media Literacy teaches people how to comprehend what they are consuming. Once our youth learn how to see through the surface of today's media, to understand how and why they're being manipulated, they become more critical consumers of media, more receptive to other ideas and information, and better able to tell their own stories. A media literate young person can be, we think, a healthier young person.
Using their skills, Team Media Literacy develops specific healthy lifestyle campaigns, creating television and radio commercials, newsper and billboard ads, Internet websites and other foms of mass media. They present this information at a variety of venues, such as church groups. service clubs, and to their peers and younger students in the classrooms throughout the Flathead Valley. If you would like to know more about Team Media Literacy, or are interested in having Team Media Literacy come and present to your group or organization, then please call Barney Stucker or Linda Ravicher at 756-6453.
Kalispell Youth Advisory Council
A dedicated group of Kalispell students from Flathead High School, LASER, and Flathead Christian School have come together to represent all Kalispell students at Kalispell City Council meetings. This group is the Kalispell Youth Advisory Council, comprised of 26 dedicated youth who have been meeting regularily since last October. The Youth Council was sworn in at the March 17, 2003 City Council Meeting, and meet monthly to discuss the "youth" perspective regarding issues before the City Council. They currently have established a committee to research skate board parks, so they can make some recommendations from a youth point of view regarding the Kalispell Skate Board Park, currently being considered for design. The founding members of the Youth Advisory Council were recently honored at the United Way Volunteer of the Year Awards Banquet. They were nominated and won the award for "Youth Stars In Action" They are presently planning several fund raisers, as well as, making plans to become involved as a group in several community volunteer projects. Any Kalispell youth is eligible to apply to become a member of the Youth Advisory council. If you or a youth near you is interested in participating, please call 756-6453 to request an application. We have plans to expand this program to the Columbia Falls, and Whitefish area in the coming months.
