The Media Clubs project works with teachers from underserved public high schools in Jordan to develop students’ critical-thinking skills and resilience to manipulative information, hate speech, and conspiracy theories through extracurricular clubs.

The project uses IREX’s Learn to Discern (L2D) methodology to promote healthy media engagement habits, responsible digital citizenship, and inclusive public debate. Competitive, student-led media initiatives encourage students to learn new digital skills and design products to counter hate speech, stereotypes, cyberbullying, and other forms of manipulation.

• The project promotes responsible digital citizenship and critical information engagement through an interactive online platform with content and activities that are tailored to students' interests and needs.
• With our Jordanian partner, Madrasati, we trained 20 teachers from 10 underserved public schools to deliver media club training to students and lead school events to share information with colleagues.
• Media Clubs will build the critical-thinking and media and information literacy skills of at least 400 ninth and tenth grade students (ages 15–17) during the spring and summer of the 2020–2021 school year.
• Students will meet with U.S. and Jordanian media professionals (from CNN, New York Times, Syria Direct, and Al-Mamlaka TV) to learn about the media field, journalism standards, and best practices.

• Equip young Jordanians with the critical-thinking and information engagement skills and awareness that they need to build resilience to misinformation, hate speech, conspiracy theories, and other forms of manipulation.
• Empower youth to counter misinformation, stereotypes, cyberbullying, and more through creative, practical application of skills and concepts in the form of student-led media initiatives, such as cell phone videography and social media campaigns.
• Promote a shared understanding of U.S. and Jordanian values regarding responsible digital citizenship, journalistic standards, and informed public debate.

• Adapt the curriculum and learning platform: Building on our experience with implementing Learn to Discern and youth-focused projects in Jordan, we will create a user-friendly, interactive course featuring content and examples that appeal to young Jordanians’ interests and information engagement habits.
• Train teachers: We conducted an intensive four-day training for 20 teachers in January 2021. Teachers received general media literacy and critical information engagement training, became acquainted with the Media Clubs curriculum and online learning platforms, and practiced interactive teaching methods.
• Facilitate learning: The 10-day Media Clubs curriculum will cover an array of topics, including personal media consumption preferences, emotional vulnerability to manipulation, stereotypes, bias, and photo and video verification.
• Conduct “Discover Media” visits: Students will meet with Amman-based members of U.S. and Jordanian media outlets to discuss the media field, including journalism standards, practices, and challenges.
• Organize media clubs for student initiatives: Club participants will apply their new knowledge and skills, using their voices to break stereotypes, build awareness of biases, fight misinformation, promote responsible online behaviors, and counter hate speech.
• Celebrate students’ success: With a team of guest judges, we will host an awards ceremony in September 2021 to celebrate the students’ media initiatives and give awards to the winners.