Media education campaigns and projects

Numerous campaigns with the objective of increasing parental awareness have been carried out in Finland, and most of these campaigns run from year to year. Nearly all of the larger non-governmental organizations, such as the Mannerheim League of Child Welfare and Save the Children Finland, as well as several governmental bodies have been involved in the effort to educate parents across the nation. Local campaign activities are organized in schools, where children’s media consumption has been a major topic in parent-teacher meetings for several years.

Many Finnish online services provide information packages for parents on their websites. There are also updated online services available where parents can find further information about the media worlds of children and young people. Mannerheim League of Child Welfare provides the best-known of these services in their Children and Media –website. Considerable resources have been allocated to online youth work directed towards young people, and forums for hearing and supporting parents are expected to be set up in the near future.

Children and Media Action Plan - Project Examples

Media Muffin Project (2006-2007) focused on the development of media education for small children by producing training, materials and a national guide to media training within early childhood education. The project was coordinated by Kerhokeskus - Centre for School Clubs, Koulukino – School Cinema, and Media Education Centre Metka.

Media Education in Public Libraries aimed at improving the media education readiness of library professionals and developing media educational models for libraries, especially as a part of children’s literature work. The project was carried out in 2009 by the Finnish Library Association, the Helsinki City Library and State Provincial Offices.

National Media Education Portal at www.mediakasvatus.fi. The portal brings together actors in the field of media education and offers information and materials for professional educators, librarians, workers within the social services and health care as well as parents. The portal is coordinated by the Finnish Society on Media Education.

Media Education Models in the Sámi Language and for the Sámi Culture. The aim of this undertaking is to develop media education models. The project is coordinated by the Sámi Parliament.

The Effects of Media on the Development of Children and Young People – a review
To support the work in media education, a large research review was conducted in 2007 to compile international and domestic research data on the effects of media. The survey was coordinated by the Finnish Society on Media Education.