Corona Multimedia Showcase Mission and Goals
The Corona Multimedia Showcase provides a platform for children, youth and families to create and display media projects in a variety of formats that reflect their lives in this time of COVID-19. These projects will be digitally published on this website for young people and families around the world.
This showcase is intended to provide children around the world with the opportunity to act upon their right of free expression.
The showcase is being offered to children and youth from 3 to 19 and their families to:
- Encourage them in using media to share thoughts, feelings, and ideas.
- Engage them in reflecting critically on their own work and to support their best efforts.
- Help them share their experiences with other families around the world.
- Provide a place for them to display their creative work and express their unique voices.
- Inspire hope and demonstrate that we will persevere, with our courage and creativity, during this crisis and into a new future.
About Action for Media Education
Action for Media Education (AME) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting media literacy as a critical life skill for the 21st century. Since 1991, AME has been one of the trailblazers in the media literacy movement in the United States. Our board members include university professors, educators, parents and community activists who are dedicated to bringing media literacy education to children everywhere.
One of AME’s primary goals is to teach children and youth to become critical and creative thinkers as they develop the skills of expression to communicate in their own unique voices. Using the Corona Multimedia Showcase as a vehicle, we hope to encourage young people around the world to select the medium of their choice to express their thoughts, feelings and ideas during this historic time of a pandemic. For more information about AME and media literacy, please see our Corona Multimedia Showcase Resources and the Action for Media Education website.
Partners
Child Rights in Action
Child Rights in Action is an international forum (with Jonathan Levy from Paris, France, its Scientific and Program Director) that gives children voices to become actors and take part in many necessary changes in their societies. Child Rights in Action, born from the CATS (Children as Actors for Transforming Society), is part of the nongovernmental movement Initiatives of Change, IofC (https://www.iofc.org), a world-wide movement of people of diverse cultures and backgrounds, who are committed to the transformation of society through changes in human motives and behavior, starting with their own. Initiatives of Change works worldwide on many initiatives through a network of individuals, groups and organizations. Hosted by IofC France, the first https://action4mediaeducation.org/ conference, (https://www.iofc.org/child-rights-action-2019) took place in Pontmain, France in summer 2019. The conference, which coincided with the 30th anniversary of the Convention of Children’s Rights, was composed to “help children and adults to work together to transform Child Rights from a legal and political position to a real everyday action” (Jonathan Levy).
International Janusz Korczak Association
(IKA) is an international forum founded in Warsaw, Poland, with the goal to provide the open platform for followers of Korczak’s ideas and pedagogy in the world, based on respect of child’s rights. IKA unites over 20 national Korczak Associations in different countries across the globe (https://www.facebook.com/IKAssociation/). It operates and connects with its members via annual conferences, the largest and most representative one was held in August 2018 in Seattle, WA, organized by Dr. Tatyana Tsyrlina-Spady, Korczak Association of the United States, in cooperation with Seattle Pacific University. IKA is led by its Board; President, Dr. Marek Michalak (Warsaw, Poland), and Vice President, Jerry Nussbaum who is also President of Korczak Association of Canada, Vancouver, BC (http://www.januszkorczak.ca).
Northwest Center for Excellence in Media Literacy Education
The Northwest Center for Excellence Media Literacy Education is based in the University of Washington’s College of Education in Seattle, Washington. Since the early 1990s, the Center has been a trailblazer in using the lens of media literacy education to address a wide range of health issues affecting young people across the United States. The Center not only conducts research, it also provides training and develops curriculum for educators, health professionals, and paraprofessionals working with young people.
Corona Showcase Team
Marilyn Cohen, PhD, Corona Multimedia Showcase Team
Marilyn Cohen, AME’s Executive Director, has been actively involved in media literacy education since the early 1990s. She was one of the founding members of AME and she also currently serves as the Director of the Northwest Center for Excellence in Media Literacy, College of Education, University of Washington. Through her work with AME and the NW Center, she has taken a leadership role in organizing conferences and workshops designed to grow the media literacy movement, particularly in the Pacific Northwest. Marilyn has been involved in media literacy research for a number of years. In 2007 she assumed leadership in organizing the nation’s first Media Literacy Research Summit, sponsored by the organization now known as the National Association for Media Literacy Education. Marilyn has also written a number of media literacy-based curriculum materials that have been implemented widely by schools as well as by a broad range of groups and organizations serving young people across the nation.
Tatyana Tsyrlina-Spady: International Showcase Coordinator
Tatyana V. Tsyrlina-Spady, is a professor emerita at Kursk State University, Kursk, Russia, a vice-provost from Regional Open Social Institute (1996-2013), an international education consultant, and an adjunct professor at Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA, USA, a founder and former Editor-in-Chief of the online journal Russian-American Education Forum (www.rus-ameeduforum.com). She is also a visiting professor at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, teaching the Summer Institute on Child Advocacy in Action: The Legacy of Janusz Korczak. Tatyana is the author of 21 books and edited volumes and over 40 book chapters and papers in the field of comparative education, and theory and history of education. She was the organizer of numerous international projects including international conferences in August 2018 and November 2019 in Seattle, and professional development seminars for university administrators and academics from Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. She is also a member of international and national organizations, such as International Korczak Association, Child Rights in Action, Rotary Club Seattle #4, Forum Foundation (Seattle, WA), etc.
Olga Yurkshat: Web Developer
Olga Yurkshat holds Master’s Degree in Linguistics and multiple Certificates in Graphic Design. She has over 10 years of experience in graphic design, concept development, signage and project management for international retail chains, showcases, exhibitions and other projects e.g., MAPIC (Cannes, France), Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition (Guangzhou, China), REX (Moscow, Russia). Olga has been awarded The Best Socially Important Project -2014 (Kursk, Russia) and Atlas Concorde Best Product Placement -2013 (Moscow, Russia). She provides design and digital marketing services for businesses; volunteers for a large number of international events, e.g., International Conference of Association for Moral Education 2019 (Seattle, WA) and Portland Slavic Festivals in 2017-2019 (Portland, OR).
Nick Pernisco: Technology Consultant
Nick Pernisco has taught several classes designed for media professionals at both Santa Monica College and California State University Northridge. In addition to teaching classes, Nick launched the educational website Understand Media in 2004; this website has since been considered one of the leading websites to visit when learning about media literacy and media education. Nick is also an entrepreneur who founded two companies; Carmelina Films and Connected Neurosciences. Carmelina Films (2004-2012) produced documentaries on topics such as media literacy, educational technology and social media. Connected Neurosciences founded in 2016 develops software for people with neurological conditions to track their day-to-day symptoms. In addition to his work with AME, Nick co-founded a non-profit organization called Power2Girls. The goal of this organization is to provide a teen pregnancy and HIV prevention program for young girls in Ghana.
John Engerman: Graphic Design
John Engerman has worked as an art director and graphic designer in advertising agencies for over 20 years. After receiving his master’s in education, he taught design at Syracuse University, Cornish College of the Arts, and the Seattle Art Institute. He has also composed songs and served as music director for dozens of Seattle area theatre and cabaret productions. John is a strong advocate of media literacy education and has been involved with Action for Media Education over many years, including as a past member of its executive board. John’s logos, web graphics and signage have been featured at AME’s conferences and workshops as well as in its Images of Youth Festivals. His work has also been included in curriculum materials produced by the NW Center for Excellence in Media Literacy, University of Washington.
AME Website Team
Sue D. Cook is an editor for ECG Management Consultants and has spent her career as a developmental / line editor, writer, and graphic designer. As a long-time literacy advocate and volunteer, she tutored elementary students, taught adult literacy, and shared computer skills with people of all ages in King County Library classes. She is a past board member of the Northwest Editors Guild. Sue is on the Action for Media Education communications committee and posts on social media for AME.
Ethan Delavan is the Director of Technology at The Bush School, a K-12 independent school. Trained as a drama teacher, Ethan began integrating media and technology into his classes and made the switch to teaching technology full time to middle school students. His latest passion is helping colleagues to bring technology into student experience to further creativity and collaboration. He has served on the boards of 911 Media Arts Center and the National Association for Media Literacy Education.
Jenny Gawronski is a doctoral student at the University of Washington in the College of Education. Her research explores the digital lives of student teachers and how they use technology in their learning to become teachers. Jenny also teaches the educational technology courses at the University of Washington’s elementary and secondary teacher education programs. In her previous work, Jenny was a ceramic artist and Assistant Professor of Art and Art Education at Adams State University in southern Colorado.
Elcin Gurbuz is a Program Coordinator at the University of Washington in Seattle. Shereceived her Bachelor’s in Communications from Istanbul University in Turkey where she created several projects related to media literacy, media studies, and entrepreneurship for workshops and student clubs. Her projects included work focusing on the influence of media on children and adults. She moved to Seattle in 2017.
Art Land is a journalist and educator. In television news since 1982, he worked at CNN headquarters as an assignment editor and show producer. He has extensive and current experience as a freelance field producer for ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News, Vice News, and Al Jazeera America, among many others. He began his career in local news in Georgia and South Carolina where he also made documentaries, sports programs, and commercials. Since 1994, Art has been teaching journalism and communication at colleges including Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, West Georgia State University, and currently at Lake Washington Technical Institute. His wife, Kristin Fraser, is a producer for Vice News Tonight on HBO.
Cora Mackoff has been a dedicated and inspirational educator for Seattle Public schools for almost four decades. Until she recently retired, she had been teaching everything from World History, Public Speaking, AP Human Geography, APLA to Modern World Literature. Cora started the Women’s Literature/Studies program at Roosevelt high school in Seattle 18 years ago and it is still going strong. A fierce fan of Media Literacy and Digital Citizenship, she has incorporated its lessons to all her students as often as possible. She has worked on some of AME’s most iconic curriculums including Creating Critical Viewers, Tobacco and Media,and her favorite, Violence and the Media. She has been a member of AME for over 20 years.
Danni Minteer has press and television experience, both on-air and behind the scenes, from her immersion in local, state, and national politics, and as the Area Director for Jazzercise in Western Washington, which she introduced into the state. With a bachelor’s degree in government and in English, Danni earned a master’s degree in special education after receiving a fellowship that was awarded, in part, from her work for the American Red Cross in service to military and veteran’s hospitals during the Vietnam War. Danni who recently retired brought media literacy into the English, social studies, and special ed classes she taught at the secondary level. Danni remains very involved in media literacy advocacy work throughout her state.
Shelby Reynolds has been a leader in Digital and Media literacy for over a decade in her role as the Assistant Director for Instructional Technology and Library Services for the Northshore School District. In addition, Shelby is the 2019-2021 Washington State PTA Leadership Director, serving as a parent advocate on the AME board. As a parent of two daughters, Shelby’s passions include the development of critical thinking and information literacy skills to equip students to become active contributors to our global community.
Shawn Sheller is the Vice Chair for Action for Media Education. She is a national board-certified library-media specialist with 30 years of teaching experience in Washington public schools. Over the years, she has worked to ensure quality education for children through her work with educators to achieve their national board certification and other advanced endorsements as an adjunct professor at Pacific Lutheran University. She has also served on an Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) library media endorsement review committee. In her current role, her love of books is paired with leading the technology integration plan at Soos Creek Elementary School in the Kent School District. Her passion for ensuring children are critical thinkers and digitally literate is what brought AME to her attention. She strongly supports AME’s efforts to ensure that all children become media literate.
Supporters
We wish to acknowledge the following International Coordinators for all of their time and effort in promoting the Corona Multimedia Showcase in their respective countries. We are especially grateful for the help and support each of these exceptional individuals have so generously offered in order to ensure the success of the Showcase. For this reason, we feel they deserve special recognition as Showcase champions.
Currently our Showcase Champions include the following people but we expect this list to become longer by the day:
- Dr. Lidiya Asadchikh, principal, and school teachers, School #60 (Kursk, Russia)
- Irina Beliene (Lithuania)
- Clea Bland (Canada)
- Dr. Helen Boelens (The Netherlands)
- Maria Elena Olmos Cardenas (Mexico)
- Carol Ford (Australia)
- Dr. Lubov Klarina (Russia)
- Dr. Polina Palekhova (Russia)
- Aditi Salkar (India)
- Chintamani Yogi (Nepal)
- Samrat Yogi (Nepal)
- Dr. Milandre Vlok (South Africa)
National Association for Media Literacy Education
National Telemedia Council
College of Education, University of Washington
Media Education Lab
Media Literacy Clearinghouse
Media Literacy Now
Project Look Sharp
Gateway Media Literacy Partners
Northwest Alliance for Responsible Media
Insighters Educational Consulting
Kara Clayton Digital
Consortium for Media Literacy
The Association for Media Literacy
Corona Multimedia Showcase 