Become a Digital Elder!

Welcome to
DIGITAL ELDER!
An International Project-Message Media Ed

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The Digital Elder training is a 2-day intensive, totaling 15 instructional hours. Participants range in age from 14-100 and are trained in two primary areas: Cultural Media Literacy & Technology.

Participants are educated in current issues facing the Black community in relation to Media Influence, Identity Development and Educational Achievement. Global disparities are discussed – social, academic and economic – and modern day solutions are identified. As a community, Digital Elder facilitators (known as Village Transformers) and participants tackle these issues, while revisiting African heritage, language, African American history and contemporary achievements. It is in this area of the training, critical connections are made to the importance of becoming media and technologically literate in order to resolve current cultural challenges and to begin mending the "African village" on a local and global level.

On the technology side, participants are divided by skill level and receive conceptual and practical instruction in computer operation, internet navigation/research, social media and gadgetry operation (ie. Mp3 players, texting, etc).

Both the Cultural Media Literacy & Technology training curricula are project-based, offering immediate application opportunities for participants. Various products are produced upon completion of the 2 day intensive, including a collaborative Youth Affirmation CD, Digital Elder Video Messages and other artistic, social media and electronic communication endeavors.

Upon completion of the workshop series, follow-up on-line trainings, webinars and regional professional development classes are offered to graduates, to continue their learning.

“Before I became a Digital Elder, I felt distanced and apart from the text messaging, blogging youth and now that I am a Digital Elder, I at least understand how and why they communicate in this way and I’ve learned the terminology which facilitates my communication with them.” - Barbara Turner, Digital Elder

“It opened doors I didn’t know existed!”

“This is an exciting opportunity to influence our youth in positive ways.”

"It is critical that we reconstruct the traditional African village for the Digital Age and teach the skills needed to succeed in the 21st Century, so our youth, our families, our elders, can close the divide and 'show up African', ready to diversify and innovate in the community, the classroom and the modern global workplace" -- Shani Byard, Founder, Message Media Ed & The Digital Elder Project