A media literacy scheme for school students is to be launched in Tower Hamlets backed by almost £100,000 of charitable funding.
The Student View, the UK’s leading charity dedicated to promoting media literacy among youth, announced today that they have secured £99,600 in funding from City Bridge Foundation, London’s biggest independent charity funder.
Tower Hamlets, where over half of secondary school pupils receive free school meals, has been selected as the project’s base.
This financial support will underpin the launch of their groundbreaking initiative, the New Creator Club, aimed at providing immersive media literacy training to young people aged 11-23 from low-income backgrounds.
The New Creator Club seeks to address the stark perception gap revealed by the charity’s recent survey, where 68% of young people in the UK’s most deprived areas felt that a career in media “wasn’t for someone like them.”
It also aims to bridge the gap between low socioeconomic areas and creative career opportunities by offering underrepresented youth a unique, safe, and fully funded environment to learn and apply media literacy skills.
The Club will not only focus on academic training but also on providing hands-on experiences such as newsroom activities, community storytelling, and interactions with established professionals in the media industry.
Sessions are set to commence once a week from January 2024, following the project’s official launch on November 15, 2023.
Bejay Mulenga MBE, Executive Director at The Student View, said: “This is more than just financial support; it’s a validation of our mission to amplify young voices.” He emphasised the commitment to ensuring that the voices of young people resonate in the media landscapes of tomorrow.
Paul Martinelli, City Bridge Foundation Funding Committee Chairman, highlighted the importance of a representative media industry and expressed delight in supporting a project that provides under-represented young people in Tower Hamlets with the skills, experience, and confidence needed to build successful careers.
The project has garnered support from industry professionals, including Jordan Jarrett Bryan, Sports Reporter at Channel 4, and Renée Kapuku, Co-Founder at To My Sisters, who both serve as Board Members at The Student View.
With the launch of the New Creator Club, The Student View plans to conduct nearly 50 club sessions annually, providing participants with opportunities to engage in newsroom activities, write stories, and connect with diverse professionals across the media industry.
