Media Power Youth
Empowering Media Smart Youth & Communities

Resources

Callie Carr, Sarah St. Laurent, Monica Suchovsky, Owen David, UNH Master in Public Health Students; Lydia Henry, MPY Staff member; Sarah Connolly and Claire Provencher, McDonough Health and Art teachers.

"Amazing potential to teach young children how culture and media influence their lives." - Martin Boldin, LICSW, LADC, LCS, Director, City of Manchester, Office of Youth Services

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Click to watch a 3-min introductory video

Media Literacy: a prevention intervention

Evaluation
Evaluation continues to be integral to all of Media Power Youth's programs. We utilize and create evidence-based practices and programs (set of prevention activities that evaluation research has shown to be effective). Most recently, Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) awarded MPY a mini-subcontract for "BUILDING EVALUATION CAPACITY FOR EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMS". Following the rigorous evaluation of MPY's 12-lesson health/art curriculum in the Manchester, NH schools in the fall 2009, Media Power Youth will become eligible for the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP).

Our Evaluation Partners

  • Center on Media and Child Health (Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School)
  • Service to Science Academy, NECAPT, Northeast Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies
  • Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
  • University of New Hampshire Masters in Public Health Program
Our Evaluations

Media Power Youth Elementary School Curricula:
MediaSmart School: Media Literacy as Health Intervention: Summer 2006
David S. Bickham, PhD, Ronald G. Slaby, PhD, Michael Rich, MD, MPH
Center on Media & Child Health
Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Public Health

Evaluation of MediaSmart Program: Year Two: Spring 2007
David S. Bickham, PhD, Carolyn S. Lertzman, BA, Ronald G. Slaby, PhD
Center on Media & Child Health
Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Public Health

Findings
  • Students significantly increased their understanding of advertising influences and techniques.
  • Students believe that they can understand and resist media messages in order to make their own healthy choices.
  • Students reported enjoying the classes, finding them interesting and learning from them.
MediaSmart Elementary School Program Evaluation: May 2009
Callie Carr, Owen David, Sarah St. Laurent, Monica Suchovsky
Master's Program Senior Capstone Project
University of New Hampshire School of Public Health

Findings
  • MediaSmart program is effective.
  • Children were engaged in focus groups and utilized specific details of curriculum and acronyms used in lessons.
  • Students eager to actively speak about the negative aspects of media and to implement their skills outside of the curriculum.
Media Power Youth Programs:
Evaluation of Media Power Youth's Parent Intervention Programs: May 2008
Marisa Fahey, Kevin Flanagan, Laurie Flemming, Rebecca Mason
Master's Program Senior Capstone Project
University of New Hampshire School of Public Health

Findings
  • 90% of parents reported that they would talk to their families about what they had learned
  • 90% reported that they had learned something new about parenting and media
  • 75% reported that they will use media differently in the future