From Mentor Project to Mentor Association

At the UNESCO sponsored Media Education seminar in Seville, in February 2002, the participants concluded that media education allows people to better understand how the media in their society works, and how to acquire competences for using the media to communicate with others. In this Media Education proposal, one learns and is taught about the media, rather than just through the media. It implies critical analysis and creative productions that can and should be carried out in formal and informal education, and promotes a sense of social responsibility, as well as individual self-realization. This seminar served the purpose of making known that Media Education must extend its scope in the future. It must aim to become a key element in educating citizens, and in the areas for civic participation without losing sight of the role that it must play in education systems. Moreover, Media Education should involve, from now on, not only professors and trainers, but also communicators and audiovisual regulating authorities.

This issue had been raised regularly for more than 30 years by UNESCO, and then it was taken up by the European Council, the European Commission and many national governments and NGOs. There was a clear need for a media education that covered a range of needs and cultural contexts; not to mention, one that was aimed at the rising generations - a fact that was of particular relevance at a time when most countries were evaluating their educational content, especially with regards to civic-related content in the digital age.

The Mentor Association started out as the Mentor Project, a Media Literacy project funded by the European Commission's Education and Training Program. The Mentor Project was overseen by the European Commission and the UNESCO, and supported by Mizar Multimedia, and other European Organizations like CEDEFOP and CLEMI. The Mentor Project responded to the way that the media loom over the lives of children and young people. There were many participants who had an active and legitimate role to play in media education; however, the Mentor Project focused on the effectiveness and relevance of what was being done in schools, especially at secondary level. The Mentor Project targeted secondary level teachers in their initial training, and created a shared media education module for the various countries in the Mediterranean basin. This was done by bringing together experts from different national and professional contexts to create media training through curricula prototypes, content, timetable, and ultimately the creation of facilities for basic teacher training.

In Thessaloniki, March 2003, UNESCO supported a Mentor Project workshop for developing the media education module for basic teaching training in the Mediterranean region. The conclusions from the Thessaloniki workshop produced the following documents and tasks:

• A "general" curriculum to develop teaching capacities of secondary level teachers.
• The strategic program to integrate the curriculum at a micro level (national) and macro level (regional).
• The structure of a website for online education.

In May 2004, UNESCO and the Department of Communication and Education at the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona organized a Media Education Workshop in collaboration with the European Union and Ponitifica Catholic University of Chile. They introduced the objectives for a new Media Education strategy in which the following issues were raised:

• Incorporation of a media education curriculum at different levels and within diverse modalities (transversal, formal, informal, fundamental, etc.)
• Awareness of the public opinion about the importance and need for Media Education through the most diverse communication strategies; including dissemination of good practices, broadcasting initiatives and participation, demonstration projects, audiovisual impact programs, public campaigns, etc.
• Promotion of platforms for educators and communicators.
• Create supporting and teaching materials for Media Education which can be used in regional and international contexts.
• Introduce Media Education as a fundamental element to consolidate the information society and regulate audiovisual and communication systems.

The Barcelona Media Education Workshop is considered the foundation of the Mentor International Media Education Association, and UNESCO's Media Education action plan.

Milestones

The following milestones should be noted since the Mentor Association was founded:

• General meeting and presentation at the World Cultural Forum in Barcelona, September 2004.
• Development of the Communication and Education Guide, 3 Key Questions. The guide focuses on the deep understanding of values and activities that are common and the actors who participate in communication and education. July 2005.
• Development of the Guide on Television Language and Values, 100 Questions and Answers. It explains the new converging context between semiotics, language, and television. July 2005.
• Development of the Guide on Ethics and the Media, 100 Questions and Answers. It presents media education as a discipline that is responsible for fostering the relationship between the media and citizens. It contributes to creating a favorable context for professional practice. July 2005.
• Media Education Conference "Renewing Media Education Principles" organized by the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona and in collaboration with the University of do Minho and the Catholic University of Milan. March 2006.

See Documents