Project V

Project V draws on the use of information and communication technology (ICT) to engage children in learning about, speaking out about, and making change related to various issues of importance to them. Students from various schools in the UK have identified concerns - such as health problems (e.g., avian influenza, cancer, drug use, heart disease, HIV and AIDS, obesity, smoking, and sexually transmitted infections, or STIs), environmental challenges (e.g., global warming), community/school difficulties (e.g., bullying, graffiti, littering, sexism, stereotyping, vandalism), and scientific issues (e.g., animal testing, stem cell research). To cite one specific example, by clicking on "MRSA" [which is an acronym for methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus], one reads an introduction: "Over the last couple of years we've read in the newspapers and heard from Radio and TV about dirty hospitals and deadly hospital-borne infections. Are these reality or scare stories? We set out on a quest to find out the truth about the state of hospitals in our region, Cumbria, and the scale of the problem that is often called a "Superbug", MRSA." Then, one may click on files to hear the radio programmes - created by students themselves - related to this issue.

The process of creating these programmes revolved around the participation of children. A research consultancy organisation called Dream Mill chose schools to represent a wide range of demographic profiles, including variance in ethnicity, rurality, and socio-economic status. The Dream Mill worked to create a culture of participative inquiry at the beginning of the project, which was designed to inspire ongoing commitment from young people throughout the production process. In an effort to create "ownership" of the Project V initiative, young people were treated as experts and project managers throughout the research process. Specifically, a "community forum" strategy was used for large-group facilitation of approximately 30 students in each of 8 school classes. The Dream Mill conducted idea generation and creative workshops to elicit the issues that young people felt strongly about from a local, national, and international perspective, and help them develop ideas for stories for the Project V website. The Dream Mill developed projective exercises such as "Tell Tony Blair" and "Write a Media Pitch" to help young people identify and clarify their ideas, and to engage in active citizenship.

Children, Education.