Who is Ranny Levy?
The invasive impact of violent
and biased media on children became the impetus, in 1991, for Levy
to create KIDS FIRST! / Coalition for Quality Children's Media, dedicated to
promoting and nurturing quality children's media as a vehicle for
social change. A former educator, Levy designed an award-winning
television series, Kidnetics, for PBS Affiliate, WNIT-TV, produced
an ACE-nominated television show (Cable Magazine), and managed an
independent film production and distribution company, OneWest Media,
selling to national and international markets including PBS, the
Discovery Channel and Showtime.
For KIDS FIRST, Levy developed
the following programs:
- Videotherapy, a violence prevention program serving at-risk kids and families in New Mexico
- Media Training and Junior Film Critics Club for adults and kids ages 8-12
- Incubated Meg's Gifts - a children's hospital donation project
- KIDS FIRST! Film Festival - a traveling event that partners with 100 venues annually
Levy co-authored two books, "The New York Times / KIDS FIRST Guide to The Best Children's Videos" and "A Parent's Guide to the Best Children's Videos, DVDs and CD-ROMs" and is a frequent speaker at conferences, including:
- Vice President Gore's Family Re-Union
- Video Software Dealers Association Convention (now Home Media Entertainment Conference)
- National Governor's Association Conference on Quality in Education
- Head Start Research Conference
- National Association of Family and Community Educators
Levy's media reviews and articles on children's media appear in the following publications and websites:
- Grand Magazine
- KIDS FIRST! News and KIDS FIRST! Website
- TiVo's Zidzone
- Smart Television Alliance
- Parenthood.com
- Moving Pictures Magazine
- National Association for Family and Community Education
She is the mother of two grown children and two wonderful
grandchildren.
