The Esm3ni project supports Jordanian youth and youth-led media in building critical-thinking skills around media consumption. Through practical training, youth learn to produce and disseminate positive alternative narratives.

The project also builds the capacity of educators, local government institutions, and civil society to mentor youth-led media projects. The program adapted IREX’s Learn to Discern approach to train youth to recognize and resist manipulative information, propaganda, and hate speech.

• To date, more than 75 youth leaders better understand the nuances of misinformation and how information consumption affects youth behaviors and attitudes.
• Youth leaders produced and broadcasted 15 radio programs on five radio stations using positive alternative narratives, reaching thousands of people. The programs have discussed key issues such as gender equality, youth employment, stereotypical misconceptions, hate speech, and youth political participation.
• Youth-created radio programs were on average 30% more accurate and relevant than before participation in Esm3ni.  Youth also increased their technical proficiency by 46% and were 91% more creative than  before. 
• Faculty and civil society leaders showed a 92% improvement in learner-centered training skills and a 64% improvement in curriculum knowledge.

• Equip youth with critical-thinking and media-literacy skills, using the Learn to Discern approach, to build resilience to misinformation and propaganda.
• Empower youth as conscientious consumers of information and creators of vibrant media content.
• Increase the supply and demand of relevant, high-quality, objective youth-led media content.
• Prepare youth for careers in the media through practical radio production and multimedia training.

• Esm3ni curriculum: Developed in partnership with local experts and media faculty, the Esma’ni curriculum includes modules on identity and active citizenship, critical thinking, media and information literacy, and radio production.
• Esm3ni training: University students and youth receive eight days of formal training using the Esm3ni curriculum. The program also provides hands-on training in radio production.
• Learn to Discern: The program uses IREX’s innovative Learn to Discern methodology for media-literacy training. Learn to Discern teaches the latest techniques for identifying misinformation and helps people develop good habits.
• Support for faculty and civil society leaders: University faculty and youth-oriented civil society leaders receive training in critical-thinking and media-literacy skills and facilitation. Participants are taught how to use a learner-centered approach, which facilitates a more collaborative way for students to learn.
• Community-leaders committee: As an advisory council to the program, the community-leaders committee serves as a bridge between program youth and the larger community. The committee facilitates the students’ radio content production by providing information, materials, contacts, and sources.

Suha Najjar, program manager, snajjar@irex.org