Support Media Literacy for Kids in Rural India

Overview

With the easing of the lockdown restrictions, we were able to conduct some offline classes with children in the months of July, August, and September, in addition to regular online classes. The list of activities carried out by children during these classes include:

•       Photography and Photo Editing
•       Videography and Video editing
•       Poster making and pamphlet design
•       Creating a storybook, Flipbook
•       Stop Motion Animation

Aside from the five selected villages of Kenumakanapalli, Ontipalli, Malanur Kotal, Sonrasanapalli and Mittoor, our instructors conducted online sessions twice a week for children from other villages around our Kuppam campus.

Appropriate safety measures are being followed when face-to-face sessions are being conducted. A rule to wear face masks at all times is being strictly enforced and hand sanitizers are provided to all children.

Media Arts lab reached 7,077 children in the month of July- Sep '20 for the  5-10 grade children. Among them 4,002 boys and 3,075 girls.

Special activities: A group of children who have been trained by the MediaArts Lab participated in an online digital showcase hosted by Chennai Photo Biennale, titled ‘What is Home?’ Agastya’s children presented pictures and videos they had shot in the Abhivyakti (Black and White analogue photography) program and videos they had created about their communities and villages under the Dhwani program.

Activities planned for Q3

• Rolling out Media Kits for children in the selected villages in the month of November.
• Creating worksheets and guides that will act as reference material and activity sheets for the upcoming activities.
• Organizing training programs for instructors in the lab on scripting and producing radio shows. The insights gained from this series of workshops will be imparted to the children.