(Note: IC students - it is still not too late to register through Homer
for the 1-credit minicourse: GCOM 29312-01)
Kicking off with an Earth Day presentation, Ithaca College will launch
an educational initiative focusing on the topic of "Media for Social
Change <http://www.ithaca.edu/rhp/community/socialchange/>." Led by Roy
H. Park School of Communications dean Diane Gayeski
<http://faculty.ithaca.edu/gayeski/> and IC alum Andy Orgel '74, the CEO
of One Degree Media and Entertainment Company
<http://1degree-media.com/> and a co-founder of the A&E and MTV
networks, the program is in keeping with the college's sustainability
endeavors as well as efforts to develop an integrative curriculum.
On Thursday, April 22 --- the 40^th anniversary of Earth Day --- "Soul
of Money" author Lynne Twist <http://www.soulofmoney.org/> will give a
free public presentation on "Media for Social Change" at 7 p.m. in Park
Hall Auditorium. The program is intended to serve as a wake-up call
about the urgency of the current global situation relating to
environmental sustainability and social responsibility and the role of
the media to communicate key messages and opportunities to global citizens.
Twist has spent more than three decades tackling such issues as world
hunger; protecting rainforests; empowering indigenous peoples; improving
health, economic, and political conditions for women and children;
advancing the scientific understanding of human consciousness; and
creating a sustainable future. She founded the Soul of Money Institute
to express her commitment to supporting and empowering people in finding
peace and sufficiency in their relationship with money and the money
culture.
Participating via a taped message will be Van Jones
<http://www.vanjones.net/>, a globally recognized, award-winning pioneer
in human rights and the clean-energy economy and author of "The
Green-Collar Economy." Named by "Time" magazine as one of the 100 most
influential people in the world, Jones served in 2009 as the green jobs
advisor for the Obama White House. He is currently a senior fellow at
the Center for American Progress, a senior policy advisor at Green for
All and a distinguished visiting fellow at Princeton University.
Following the presentations, students enrolled in a special mini-course
will spend the next two days working in teams, as if they were actual
employees of media companies, to develop ideas on how to address the
global sustainability issues presented by the speakers. They will be
challenged to present a business case for how to use the media platform
they represent --- such as cable, satellite, broadcast, broadband,
mobile, print or film --- to deliver content that can bring about real
social change.
Mentoring the students and judging the final presentations will be
Ithaca alumni working in the industry. In addition to Orgel, they
include Steve Rathe '71, founder of Murray Street Productions
<http://www.murraystreet.com/>, the producers of the "Jazz at Lincoln
Center" radio series; Steve Schwartz '68, producer of programs for the
Learning Channel and the Discovery Channel; Larry Mollin '68, a
Hollywood producer/writer for such shows as "The Practice," "CHiPS" and
"Beverly Hills, 90210"; and Walter Leiding '76, director of digital
technology for CBS News.
"Through this immersive learning experience, the students will gain a
greater knowledge of companies in the media, communications and
entertainment industries; how content can communicate social
responsibility; and how to use the power of media for positive personal
and global transformation," said Gayeski.
Though based in the Park School, the mini-course is open to all Ithaca
College students and is anticipated to especially interest those
studying in such areas as environmental science, psychology, business,
health promotion, sociology, ethics and history.
Gayeski hopes that the initiative can continue in future years, with the
long-term goal of drawing participation from students of other colleges
and universities throughout the world as well as the actual media
companies represented by the mock employee teams.
"The initiative is meant to be a creative learning experience for
students, but it is also a serious message and challenge to the media
and entertainment industry. The Park School is assuming a leadership
position on the critical nature of the sustainability issue and is
showcasing the media's responsibility within that issue."
For more information, visit
http://www.ithaca.edu/rhp/community/socialchange/.
_______________________________________________
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