‘Youth Empowerment’ project holds media literacy workshop for principals, students

AMMAN — The EU-funded “Youth Empowerment” project held a media information literacy (MIL) workshop in Amman for 43 teachers and principals this week, according to a statement sent to The Jordan Times.

The workshop, conducted in partnership with the Media Diversity Institute in London and the Jordan Media Institute (JMI), aimed to advance media literacy to encourage its safe and ethical use among youth, according to the statement.

The teachers and principals hailed from 15 schools encompassing Irbid, Zarqa and Maan. Issam Zyoud, a principal from Zarqa, said in the statement that: “I notice that teenagers in particular are impacted profoundly by what they see and experience on social media. This can be dangerous and some of our youth have been radicalised through social media platforms.”

“As teachers, we must first equip ourselves with MIL knowledge so that we can guide students to make the right choices, think for themselves and not get stuck in such traps,” he added.

The workshop was implemented by the UNESCO Amman office in cooperation with the ministries of state for media affairs and education, as well as civil society organisations.

On the final day of the training, a graduation ceremony was held at the JMI, where Sami Salaitah, secretary general of the Ministry of Education, praised the dedication of the trainees and trainers.

“We rely on you, as expert trainers to transfer your MIL experience to your colleagues who will then pass it along to students, who will in turn convey what they have learned to their friends, families and throughout society,” he said.

Basim Tweissi, dean of the JMI, expressed his gratitude to the EU, the Ministry of Education and UNESCO, and recognised participants for their engagement, according to the statement.

Hana Awwad, a teacher and trainer from Irbid, said in the statement that she did not know what to expect when she signed up for the training. “This was all new terminology for me and has already impacted the way I am digesting media.”

Participants are expected to return to their governorates and establish their own media literacy clubs with students, according to the statement.