• Inspiring young people to engage with media in
    thoughtful & creative ways that support well-being.

Research Summary

Media Power Youth has devoted 10 years to the development, implementation and evaluation of our evidence-based curriculum, Media Literacy for Safe and Healthy Choices.

The curriculum has been reviewed by experts at the Center on Media and Child Health at Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School and is listed on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP). Media Literacy for Safe and Healthy Choices also has achieved evidence-based status by the New Hampshire Center for Excellence in Alcohol and Other Drug Services.

Read the Study

Evaluating a Middle-School Digital Citizenship Curriculum (Screenshots): Quasi-Experimental Study

Researched for Results

Our rigorous research and evaluation process guarantees that our curriculum delivers results.

Key Findings:

The NREPP evaluation states: “This program is promising for improving knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about media effects on violence, bullying, alcohol use, smoking, and food choices. The review of the program yielded sufficient evidence of a favorable effect.”

Students who participate in the curriculum:

  • Established confidence in their ability to understand and resist media messages to make their own healthy choices
  • Understood that media can impact the thoughts and behaviors of children their age
  • Found the lessons interesting, enjoyable and relevant to their learning
  • Significantly increased their understanding of advertising influences and techniques
  • Significantly increased understanding of the following:
    • Seeing violence on television can make you behave violently.
    • Seeing cigarette ads in magazines can make you want to smoke.
    • Seeing junk food commercials on television can make you want to eat junk food.
    • Seeing television commercials can make you want to buy things. 

*Training for implementation of the Media Literacy for Safe and Healthy Choices curriculum is required for fidelity to the evidence-based status on the NREPP. Training is available online through Pepper.