In a couple of weeks, the TIFF Nexus New Media Literacies Conference will be taking place at the TIFF Bell Lightbox in downtown Toronto. It is a chance to learn how the "children and youth of today – and their families, educators and content creators – exist in a drastically evolving media landscape, and explores what new skills are needed to thrive in this interactive, instant-on, internet-enabled, and mobile media ecosphere." It sounds like a neat opportunity to participate in hands-on workshops and learn SCRATCH, a new programming language used to create and share personal interactive stories, animations, games, music, and more. I feel it will also provide some great insight for teachers seeing as it will coincide with Media Literacy curriculum.

The keynote speaker will be Dr Nichole Pinkard who will shares insights into the work she and her collaborators are doing with platforms like the Digital Youth Network and institutions such as the Chicago Public Library (co-founding YOUmedia), to build new media literacy awareness and skills development for youth. Other creators, researchers and educators in attendance include Melanie McBride (Experiential Design and Gaming Environments (EDGE) Lab @ Ryerson University), Emily Treat (Games for Change New York), Carly Schuler (Joan Ganz Cooney Center), and Sara Grimes (iSchool @ the University of Toronto). 




If you get there early enough, you can enjoy free play in Toronto's first ever digiPlayspace where you and your kids can immerse yourselves in a digital adventure. Engage in interactive art installations, learning-centric games, mobile apps, new digital creative tools and hands-on production activities. The digiPlayspace will be open from 11:00am - 1:00pm on the day of the conference.

The day closes with a Networking Reception where you have the chance to connect with cross-sector media-makers, academics, businesses and educators across film, gaming and interactive media and get an up-close look at the initiatives resulting from the Youth New Media Literacy Jam.

Tickets cost $99 for the general public, $60 for industry/educators or $30 for students.


You can learn more about the TIFF Nexus New Media Literacies Conference by visiting TIFFNexus.net.