In the years since the founding of the conference the centrality of media to our individual, social, cultural and civic lives has grown exponentially. As media educators, we face constant changes in trends, platforms, tools and skills that challenge our approaches to our work in this field. We also face challenges from legislatures, school systems, corporations, and other institutions that question the value and/or relevance of media literacy to contemporary life and education. It seems both a necessary and fitting time for us to come together and explore the roots of our field and chart its future.  Our aim in reviving the conference is to provide a forum for the practical, pedagogical, critical, and theoretical exploration of a guiding question:  What does it mean to be media literate?

Central Connecticut State University is proud and delighted to announce the return of the Northeast Media Literacy Conference. Dr. Thomas Goodkind, Professor Emeritus, University of Connecticut founded the conference in 2003 supported by the Neag School of Education at UConn. The conference served as a vital source of community, advocacy, pedagogy, and innovation in the field of media literacy.

We have organized the conference into a series of presentations and discussions that encourage a rich exchange between participants who have much to teach one another and much to learn from one another. We aim to explore the connections among all members of the media literacy community. Our colleagues in the community play different roles: they are educators, researchers, and activists. Whether we identify with the disciplines of communication, educational technology, media studies, critical pedagogy, human development, public health, technology studies, digital pedagogy, youth media or civic engagement, we are all part of one family and community.  

The Conference is Sponsored by