Community Media/CCMW/Programme Outline DRAFT

Caribbean Learning Media Workshop

Overview

An engaging three-day workshop for 15-18 Caribbean community media practitioners along with other media, educational and development partners; sponsored by Commonwealth of Learning (COL).

Dates: 18-20 November 2008
Location: St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Objectives

1. Build capacities to design and develop effective learning programmes for community radio
2. Develop an action plan to 1) document good practices, 2) develop materials (training curriculum, case studies, etc) to support learning programmes, organisational development and smart technology choices, 3) run workshops to develop new learning programmes to support learning
3. Strengthen the regional community media network, especially online exchanges, open content portals

Long term outcomes the activity contributes to (3-5 years)

• Widespread access in the region to effective learning programmes via local community media and telecentres
• Increased regional capacity to support community media, especially as part of larger open and distance learning programmes
• Stronger regional networks linking media with development and education providers

Short term results

• Promising ”media for learning” programme formats – good practices – identified
• New skills and concrete plans to develop educational community radio programmes for participating stations
• Greater familiarity and sharing among Caribbean community media and partners with respect to key issues, including programmes on AIDS, livelihoods, etc.

Approach and structure

• Build from existing community media processes and programmes in the region
• An engaging participatory workshop focused on sharing experience, practical group work, skills training
• Pre-workshop discussions with participating stations in an online forum; pre-workshop online wiki skills training
• Two days on vision, good practices and strategies for educational content on community radio, including links to education and content providers, e.g. health or agricultural groups
• Site visit to a community media outlet in St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Participation

• 10+ Caribbean community media practitioners, and resource people
• 5+ reps working with media from government departments, farmers’ group, educational institutes

Letter of invitation

Dear friends,

We are writing to invite your organisation to participate in a workshop for Caribbean community media, to be held November 18-20 in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The event is sponsored by the Commonwealth of Learning (COL).

We invite your inputs to the process and to nominate an appropriate participant.

We are proposing two main objectives for this gathering:

1. To build local and regional capacity to use community radio for education, and
2. To further strengthen regional linkages and exchange.

The meeting draws on COL’s new programme to build the capacity of community media as effective education agents, a process that started in the Caribbean in July 2008 with a local workshop at Jet FM, in Jeffrey Town, Jamaica.

Our vision is for a participatory, engaging and collaborative event, one in which community media professionals exchange good practices, develop how-to strategies, and build their skills to design new educational programmes, and following the gathering realise a new level of regional networking to support one another.

Please take a few minutes to review the attached outline for the meeting. Your feedback is essential to making this a successful event.

Ideal participants will

• Have a thorough knowledge of your station and be in a position to follow through on the recommendations of the meeting upon return to your station
• Be centrally involved in programme development and training
• Have some knowledge of and a strong interest in educational programming

Regards,

Ian Pringle
Education Specialist, Media
Commonwealth of Learning

Welcome letter (pre-departure)

Dear friends,

We’re looking forward to seeing you next week in St Vincent & the Grenadines for the Meeting of Caribbean Community Media on Creating Content, Facilitating Learning and Building Networks. All the participants to the workshop are copied on this email, so please feel free to introduce yourselves, to share ideas or ask questions.

Our main focus is on using media for learning; however we interested in any ideas for making community media stronger and more effective. We will be working together and in small groups to identify good practices and ways to improve programming and overall sustainability of community based media, primarily radio.

The draft programme for the workshop is attached. Please review it and feel free to share your feedback.

In addition to a willingness to work together, please bring three things with you

1. An introduction to your group’s work and what you do; photos and short audio clips welcome; be ready to share for max 3 minutes
2. A summary of a good practice in media for learning (or another aspect of community media) that you are familiar with, either from your station or somewhere else
3. A sense of your group’s major challenges and needs: for example what are the barriers to networking, what technical skills are missing

If you have a chance, please take a look at the Community Media space of WikiEducator as this forum will be a major part of how we continue our work after the workshop. We’ve already set up a page to document the workshop plans and outputs and to help guide us in the follow-up.

Be sure to keep any receipts for which you will require reimbursement. Based on proper receipts COL will pay approved, reasonable travel costs as well as accommodations, two meals, two refreshments, and USD $25 per day.

The main venue and accommodations are at Paradise Beach Hotel, Villa Beach; 4 miles from Kingstown. Their phone number is + (1) 784-457-4795. People staying at the hotel next door, The Beachcombers (telephone +1 784 458 4283), will get a separate email.

We will arrange your pick-up and drop-off at the airport based on the agreed itinerary. If you encounter any problems email, call or text me, Ian Pringle; my mobile is +1 778 889 4426.

See you on Monday. Safe travels,

Ian Pringle
Education Specialist, Media
Commonwealth of Learning