University of Rhode Island

The University of Rhode Island will use its grant to create a plan for a national conference and a yearlong community outreach program that will highlight the best strategies for using children’s film and digital media to increase literacy. The program will bring together the Providence Children’s Film Festival, the Rhode Island Office of Library and Information Services, the American Center for Children and Media, and the Children’s Media Association. This diverse audience will address current needs such as filling in the knowledge gaps of children’s librarians and fostering collaboration between librarians and media professionals and between schools and libraries. The program will also be an experiential learning opportunity for those library and information sciences graduate students that will help their professional development of leadership and communication skills.