The Newsstand - KIDS FIRST!® News 2007

Welcome to KIDS FIRST!® NEWS. All articles are by Coalition for Quality Children's Media unless otherwise noted.

Dear Friends,

Happy 2007! Isn't it exciting to open a new calendar and feel like you have a fresh start on life? December ended with a treat for my family, and with a not-so-pleasant experience which reminded me of why it is so important to be involved in our children's use of media. The treat for my family was a trip to the movie theater to see Charlotte's Web. When I interviewed Beau Bridges last spring, I knew that this title would be worth going to see see on the big screen. We were not disappointed. We saw the film over a week ago and are still chuckling over it.

On a more serious note, and as a reminder of what my responsibilities of being a parent and media educator are, my children woke me up on Saturday morning with the news that their morning cartoons were interrupted by a two-minute blurb on the hanging of Saddam Hussein. To my intense horror, my seven-year-old and ten-year-old went into detail about how they saw images of the man after he was hung. The image they saw made it seem as if his head was half off. They were very upset. I immediately renewed my resolution from previous years to stay current with what my children will be exposed to and help them wend their way, wisely, through all the world throws at them. So, what's your resolution? Is it to get your title more publicity? Is it to win an award? Is it to get thousands of children to see your work? Is it to find decent media for your students and children to view? If so, your involvement with KIDS FIRST!® is a great start. Producers, please remember this is your last call if you want to submit your title for consideration for the National Parenting Publication Awards.

We would like to dedicate this particular issue to the educators out there who have the patience and initiative to bring "hands on" media into the classroom, people like Elizabeth Thoman one of the pioneering leaders of the media literacy movement in the United States, and has spent more than 30 years defining the promise and potential of media literacy education in schools and afterschool programs, libraries, religious and community centers. It is because of her efforts that we end out with teachers like Laurie Harrington, who gives us an inside glimpse to her classroom media project in my article below. Kudos to all you educators!

As always, I welcome your input. If you have comments on titles we have endorsed; notices of media awards, publications, and products; or suggestions for articles, please drop me a line.

Christine Pollock, Editor

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year.

To each and every one of you, I wish you the best for the new year. May it be filled with kindness and prosperity, with good food and good times, with time for family, yourself and your community. And to everyone in the KIDS FIRST! family, I send a special thank you for your support in 2006 and best wishes for the new one.

As I write from my home office in Santa Fe, I look outside at the bountiful snowfall that dropped on us. More than 27 inches fell within a 48-hour period. On day one, my son and grandson came by to help rescue our trapped vehicle and spent the afternoon with us playing Scrabble, cooking Southwest Swedish meatballs (my new specialty), and just hanging out. The snow kept falling and by the second day, there was no way that we were going anywhere except outside to build a snowman. Our driveway is knee deep in snow and the back patio has snow piled up as high as the wall around it.

As I reflect back on the last sixteen years, to the start of this organization, I notice the many changes that have occurred in children's programming and in the work of KIDS FIRST!. In 1991 when we started, children's home entertainment was in its infancy. VHS was the primary format and, with the exception of feature films, most of the programming was coming from smaller companies like Media Home Entertainment, Weston Woods, Golden Books, Price Stern Sloan, and Lightyear Entertainment -- and our name was Coalition for Quality Children's Video. At one of our first advisory board meetings, the husband of one of the members took me aside and told me that we should change the word "Video" to "Media" because he predicted many format changes in the years to come. He recognized that our job was to be content evaluators, whatever the format. We took his advice and, as you can clearly see, his vision was 100% on target. We have seen this industry grow, the major entertainment companies jumping onboard with a plethora of product, mergers and purgers galore, and format changes that one could only imagine in 1991.

As we prepare to move into the new world of downloadable programming, predictions estimate that most consumers will abandon their local video retailer and will instead be downloading onto their combined computer/TV/game console unit to access their movies. KIDS FIRST! intends to stick with its mission, to continue to be a source for consumers to locate outstanding media, media that meets our baseline criteria of no gratuitous violence or abuse; no inappropriate sexual behavior; no racial, religious, or sexual bias; no replicable unsafe behavior; and no condescension towards children. Just as we opened our webstore to sell our independent producers' products, we are planning to join the download revolution as well.

If I might offer one small thought for the new year, it is "for a continuing source of outstanding children's media, stick with us." If you are looking at what donations to make prior to doing your taxes, remember that a donation to Coalition for Quality Children's Media is tax-deductible. Even a small contribution helps support our efforts. And, you can make a contribution without pulling out your checkbook simply by using our online travel service, www.ytb.com/kidsfirst. It uses the same search engine as Travelocity and a portion of your fare goes to KIDS FIRST!.

Much love and best wishes,

Ranny

Ranny Levy
Founder and President, KIDS FIRST!®

ONLINE JUROR TRAINING PROGRAM

Concerned about what kids watch? Want to do something about it? Become a KIDS FIRST!® juror. It's easy. Take our online training. It will take you about four hours to complete and we will provide you with your own personal trainer. The $40 fee is 100% reimbursable once you evaluate six titles for KIDS FIRST!®. You may keep any movie you approve. What a wonderful way for teachers, librarians, parents, and daycare providers to build their own quality media library while helping evaluate movies for others. KIDS FIRST!® Independent Producer members get an additional benefit of one waived submission fee, once they complete the training and evaluate their first 6 titles. To register or get more information, please visit our KIDS FIRST!® juror's page.

KIDS FIRST!® WEB STORE FEATURES
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Brainy Baby: Sing Along Songs. All the original Brainy Baby songs that children enjoy singing along to on one CD. Includes: "26 Letters," "Name Your Shapes," and others. Reinforces ideas and behaviors such as manners, seasons, and numbers. KIDS FIRST!® Adult Juror Comments: Cute. Mixes old standards with new tunes. Sequencing is well thought out, with teaching songs mixed with old favorites. Kids learn new ideas and then relax with something familiar. Includes songs about manners, counting, and body parts. KIDS FIRST!® KID Juror Comments: Likable. Kids sang and danced along to this. Old MacDonald was a favorite. "I liked the cows and pigs and chickens in the song. " "I didn't like it when it was so fast that I couldn't get the words." Audio. 45 min.; $10.36; Age: 1-4. The Brainy Baby Company.

Choose Your Own Adventure: The Abominable Snowman. The first DVD in the Choose Your Own Adventure series, The Abominable Snowman follows three siblings on a quest to rescue their Uncle in the Himalayan region of Nepal. The DVD prompts the child on-screen every 3-7 minutes to make choices about which path to follow. Adult Juror Comments: An exciting program that places decisions in the hands of the viewer. It can be watched over and over because the outcome changes. Well produced. Good animation. Respectful behavior. Appropriate for this age group. Adult jurors remembered the Choose Your Own Adventure books from their own childhood. One said, "They were probably the only books I ever reread. I loved them. "Kid Juror Comments: An exciting program that places decisions in the hands of the viewer. It can be watched over and over because the outcome changes. Well produced. Good animation. Respectful behavior. Appropriate for this age group. DVD. 80 min.; $9.95; Age: 6-12. Lean Forward Media.

Adventure Patrol: Snow Daze. From extreme snowboarding and skiing to igloo and quinzie construction, this title takes kids into the Absorka Mountains of Wyoming on a big-powder adventure. Series' host, Zeke, teaches kids that learning is big fun. Adult Juror Comments: Well done. Good pace. Lots of action that kids will appreciate. Lots of safety issues addressed. Instead of being a "how to" guide, this gives examples. Excellent motivation for participating in winter sports. Encourages self esteem and self motivation. Very intriguing. Kid Juror Comments: Very enjoyable."It teaches how to survive in the cold, has good action and made us laugh." Emphasizes safety and encourages kids to "do their best and feel good about it." Favorite part: building an igloo, cross-country skiing and the silly Olympics." The mountain is cool." "My friends would love the snowboarding part." DVD 35 min.; $9.95; Age: 5-12. Big Bright World, Inc.

The Snow Queen and the Wild Swans. Two classic folktales by Hans Christian Anderson, both narrated by Sigourney Weaver. Snow Queen is a powerful tale that follows a young girl's quest to rescue her playmate from the icy palace of the Snow Queen. Music by Jason Miles. The Wild Swans tells the story of when Princess Elise is exiled and her brothers are transformed into wild swans by the envious Queen. Elise sets out to find and release her brothers and finds not only must perform a seemingly impossible task but not speak a word the entire time. Music by Rob Hyman and Eric Bazilian (Hooters). Adult Juror Comments: Beautifully animated with wonderful character voices and lovely music. Excellent role models. The characters express many emotions that children can relate to, such as caring enough for another to put oneself out for them. Kid Juror Comments: Absorbing. Kids enjoyed the characters' adventures, responded to the story and loved the ending, which reunites the friends. They wanted to watch it again. DVD. L. 30 min.; $9.95; Age: 5-12..

The Snowy Day, and Other Jack Keats Stories. One of Ranny's Picks: One winter morning Peter wakes up to see that snow has fallen, covering everything in the city. His exciting adventures come to life in this adaptation of the perennial children's classic and Caldecott medal winner. Adult Juror Comments: Wonderful. Gentle storytelling, delightful music and art. Muted, beautiful animation with acoustic guitar. Methodically slow pace. Rare glimpses of a child alone, engaging in imaginative play, allow children to project their own experiences and stories. Kid Juror Comments: Most were excited to see small stories from their own lives. "I loved it." "Peter was too big to sit in the chair, and he gave it to the baby." "I have a baby sister now." Some tried to whistle along as Peter struggled to learn how to whistle for his dog. DVD. L. 53 min.; $9.95; Age: 2-5.

Yoga Kids 2. Children are provided with simple techniques that they will enjoy, remember and use. Provides a creative association between the alphabet, animals and yoga poses. Adult Juror Comments: Very positive and self-affirming, saying things such as, "You are courageous, you can do anything." It's creative and informative. Gives facts about things such as alligators. Good continuity. Does the entire alphabet. Kid Juror Comments: Liked it. "I like to exercise. It was fun to move in different ways." "I wanted to try the poses again." My friends would like learning about the animals and would want to try the moves." DVD. L. 33 mins. $9.95. Age: 3-7.

ANN'S AVENUE ALERTS by Ann Church
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KIDS FIRST!® Across the Country
KidFilm Festival, Dallas, Texas, January 8-21

Children and parents line up for the 2005 Premiere of Barbie Fairytopia at KidFilm, provided by KIDS FIRST!®, Mattel, and Lionsgate Family Entertainment.

USA Film Festival presents the 23rd Annual KidFilm Festival in Dallas, Texas, January 8-21, 2007. Public screenings of this year's events are Saturday and Sunday, January 20th and 21st at the AMC Northpark Theaters in Northpark Mall. This year features a KIDS FIRST!® premiere of Eloise in Hollywood, the 25th Anniversary Celebration of The Last Unicorn and a new independent film, Tillamook Treasures.

This three decade-old nonprofit organization provides monthly screenings and special annual events for their 3,000 members and the Dallas community. In April 2007, the USA Film Festival hosts its 37th Annual USA Film Festival.

The USA Film Festival has a serious commitment to children's film. Over 20,000 students from the Dallas Independent School District participate in KidFilm through the arts-in-education program of DISD. For many young viewers, this marks an unforgettable first theater experience. The weekend events are open to the public.

Saturday and Sunday, January 20th and 21st
Check them out if you are in the area.
www.usafilmfestival.com
Dallas, Texas
214-821-6300

If you know of another great location that should be screening KIDS FIRST!® titles, drop me an e-mail, and I will send you a free copy of my latest favorite KIDS FIRST!® festival title.

Ann Church

SELECTIONS FROM KIDS FIRST!® Film Festival 2006
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For a complete list of all Festival titles currently being shown, visit our website.

Hip Hop Kidz. L. 52 mins.
The Hip Hop Kidz discover that a record company is holding a contest for a record deal. They have two weeks to make the best hip hop video they can. Allison, a Hip Hop kid, and the daughter of a conservative businessman who disapproves of her involvement with hip hop, is torn between loyalty to her friends and the approval of her father. Age 8-15. Genius Products.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: A Chipmunk Valentine. L. 55 mins.
Superstar singing sensations Alvin, Simon and Theodore try every trick in the book to sweep their sweethearts off their feet in. Witness the chaos caused by Cupid's arrow in these four all-new-to-DVD Valentine-themed episodes from the classic Emmy-nominated "Alvin and the Chipmunks" TV series. Age 5-12. Paramount Home Entertainment.

Go, Diego, Go! Great Jaguar Rescue. L. 98 Mins.
Includes four episodes: "The Great Jaguar Rescue," "The Mommy Macaw," "Chinta The Baby Chinchilla", and "Little Kinkajou Is In Beehive Trouble." Offers a sneak peek of the new "The Wonder Pets!: Save The Wonder Pets! DVD." Paramount Home Entertainment. Age 2-5. Paramount Home Entertainment.

Doodlebops Superstars. L. 88 mins.
Get ready to walk the red carpet with your favorite superstars, The Doodlebops, Deedee, Rooney and Moe, present their amazing music and incredible dance steps in these four, colorful episodes that show how learning and fun can go hand in hand! Don't miss your chance to make it big with the colorful, super-fun sounds of The Doodlebops! Lionsgate Family Entertainment. Age 2-5. Lionsgate Family Entertainment.

Blue's Room: Knights of the Snack Table. L. 100 mins.
Travel back to the medieval times as Blue and her baby brother, Sprinkles head off on a exciting adventure where the entire Blue's Room crew embarks on a noble quest to help King Joe rescue his four missing dragons. Included: "Blue's Farm Play Date," "The Boat Float," "The Scavenger Hunt," and a sneak peek of The Wonder Pets! Age 2-5. Paramount Home Entertainment.

NEW AND RENEWING MEMBERS AND SPONSORS
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Please welcome these new or renewing members and visit their web sites.

Educational Adventures. Educational Adventures is a unique educational entertainment company whose products are design to empower as well as to entertain and educate children via the mediums of television, books, Internet, DVD's and music.

Discovery Kids.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

Lionsgate Family Entertainment

MEMBER NEWS
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NEST Family Learning and Hooked on Phonics Team Up To Introduce A New Line of Christian Products
Hooked on Bible Stories is a fun and interactive way to introduce children ages 4 to 8 to classic Old and New Testament stories. The Deluxe Edition includes ten classic Bible story books, Bible verse flash cards, a flash card magnet, activity books with family-oriented games, 2 audio CDs of sing-along songs, a board game for the whole family to play and enjoy, a parent’s guide, and progress reports and stickers. More information can be found here.

MEDIA NEWS
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Last Call For NAPPA Entries
Let 3.5 million parents hear about your product! Enter your parenting or baby product in the 2007 NAPPA Parenting Resources competition - Gold Award winners are featured on the Web and in 25+ regional parenting magazines in top metro markets nationwide. Both Gold and Honors winners are featured for a year and beyond on Parenthood.com. Entry deadline is January 15, 2007. Categories include: "How to" DVDs and parent-interactive DVDs for infants and toddlers; maternity and baby products, timesaving gadgets, safety products, Websites, etc. that make parenting easier and more fun! Entry forms available at www.NAPPA.Parenthood.com or call the National Parenting Publications Awards at 617-522-1515 x23. (Deadlines for the NAPPA Children's Products division (toys, books, music, software/video games, DVDs, etc. ) start June 30, 2007.

Classic Media is Now Developing Films for Families
VeggieTales fans will be thrilled to hear they are in the process of developing a feature film entitled, The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie, a Universal Picture's CG animated feature film.

FAMILY AND PARENTING NEWS
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You Can Ask! The New York State Office of Mental Health and Sesame Workshop Launch Web Site Online streaming You Can Ask! program to help children cope with stress and trauma related to tragic events. This program is for parents, caregivers, and children ages 3-8, and is available in three languages.

Rent Videos at Mc Donald's
Redbox Automated Retail, an automated DVD rental service, and McDonald's USA have expanded their agreement to increase the number of DVD rental kiosks in McDonald's restaurants nationwide. The fast food restaurant chain began testing redbox's automated DVD rental machines offering current movie titles in 2004 in Denver. Currently there are redbox kiosks at 800+ McDonald's restaurants in six markets: Baltimore, Denver, Houston, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City and St. Louis. The redbox self-service rental stations will begin to appear in McDonald's restaurants in select markets beginning in early 2007, offering DVD titles for $1 per night and can be returned to any redbox kiosk nationwide. Each kiosk holds 500+ DVDs and will feature new titles every Tuesday.

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Filmmaking in the Classroom by Christine L. Pollock

Over the last few years I have met many KIDS FIRST!® jurors. I'm always amazed at the many different walks of life they represent. Among them, we have media consultants, parents, teachers, doctors, librarians, and researchers. One of the best parts of my job is seeing how reviewing media changes the lives of our jurors and the lives of the people surrounding them. Laurie and Jay Harrington are some of our KIDS FIRST!® jurors (pictured on left) and for this issue, Laurie Harrington shares her experiences with children making media in the classroom. Harrington is the Title 1 Academic Intervention Services Coordinator for Cattaraugus-Little Valley School District in New York. When three technologically minded members of her local BOCES professional development team came across Mabryonline to learn about the process of filmmaking in the classroom, Harrington jumped at the opportunity for her 5th graders.

Teachers began their first training in late September of 2006. They met once a month and went back to train their students step by step. The student projects were completed by Dec.13th. At first, the students faced the project with trepidation. They were confused about both topic (what inspires you) and with their ability to manage the technology. As the project went on, they began to understand the topic through readings and discussions, through parent involvement, and also through viewing movies on myhero.com. Harrington and another teacher, Rochelle Redeye, had a breakthrough when conceived the idea to film their own kids playing at home. They taught the students through this non-threatening invitation to download, edit, and produce. The children became excited and empowered. When their projects were complete, the students held a movie afternoon in the auditorium to showed their work to peers. They described their process and how much they loved learning to show what they know about the technology. One student said, "At first I thought no way, Mrs. H is crazy, but now I want to do this every year. I can do this!"

As a teacher, Harrington learned a lot through the process. All the students who did this project are struggling in school, particularly in reading and writing. According to Harrington, motivation is nearly always an issue with this age group when a child is having literacy difficulty. With this project, every student was engaged every day. They treated one another well, read and wrote to prepare willingly. The teachers were very proud of their outcomes! Above and beyond the academic benefits, it was thrilling to see the students collaborate. They worked together better on this than anything Harrington had ever seen - they were respectful! Harrington cites the example, "One girl interviewed her brother and her partner really wanted to cut out parts, but the way he expressed his thoughts and left final decisions to her were touching."

Harrington has some recommendations for teachers interested in doing a project like this. First, plan well - limited access to technology is one of the hardest parts. They had 5 groups going and one computer system. Second, branch out to outside resources - their school bussed the students up to the high school to talk with and learn from high school movie makers in the art department and to use the computer lab there. Robin Clark, the high school art teacher, was quite generous, taking us in as her own she says each year it gets easier to manage and Harrington is looking forward to finding out!

Harrington also feels that her experience as a KIDS FIRST!® Juror gave her an advantage. She says, "Being a KIDS FIRST!® Juror has changed the way I teach kids to be critical thinkers. If a child is having trouble learning to read or write, they often think of themselves as stupid and predict failure at school activities. I work on movie reviews to teach them that they are thinkers, evaluators, and able to give feedback that is valuable to the outside world."

See the students' work at www.moviefest2006.pbwiki.com.
To learn about becoming a KIDS FIRST!® Juror, please visit our KIDS FIRST!® juror's page.

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CRAFTS AND ACTIVITIES

Dr. Toy's Tips on Use of Video by Stevanne Auerbach, PhD. /Dr.Toy www.drtoy.com Smart Play /Smart Toys (www.educationalinsights.com)

Exercising. Being physically fit is important for everyone of all ages. It's especially fun when the generations mix. Start slowly by watching videos and get moving indoors. Then go outside and walk and play and exercise. It's important for your health and well being. Keeping fit will reduce stress and is better for your heart and head. Keep in shape with good videos that help launch you and your child's well balanced year ahead. Most importantly take care of yourself and your family -- healthy diet and exercise will make for a healthier and happier new year. A great KIDS FIRST!® title for fun exercise is My Grandbaby & Me.

Activity - Greetings
Complements the KIDS FIRST!® title My Grandbaby & Me.

Young children are busy learning about their body and their own emotional expression. Having an older person with them teaching them how to move and expressed themselves makes it all the more fun. This activity from Elders Share the Arts gets children and grownups up and moving their bodies while expressing emotions and learning social niceties.

Materials: people.

For instructions, go to craft page.

KIDS FIRST!® Film Festival Schedule
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Films from our KIDS FIRST!® Film Festivals travel around the country where more than 100 local venues host screenings of them throughout the year. More than 10,000 screenings will take place in these venues annually. To find out what is being played in a venue near you, go to www.kidsfirst.org/fest.

Other Events

January 12-14: Memphis, Tennessee. Activists, media makers, educators, journalists, policymakers and concerned citizens will gather in Memphis this January to mobilize for better media. The National Conference for Media Reform, sponsored by Free Press, is for "anyone who is concerned about the state of our media and committed to working for change." This is an outstanding conference with top speakers, including Bill Moyers, Amy Goodman, Ben Bagdikian and others. Expect thousands of people committed to democracy and the need for a media system that supports rather than restricts free speech.

January 19: Hempstead, NY [Long Island]. Reclaim the First Amendment: A Conference on Constitutional Theories of Media Reform, cosponsored by the Free Expression Policy Project of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law and by conference host Hofstra University. Free and open to the public, reservations requested.

February 1-4, 2007. Raleigh Studios, Hollywood. The 12th Annual International Family Film Festival is leaving the suburbs of Los Angeles and moving down the road to Hollywood. Read More

March 24-28, 2007. Johannesburg, South Africa. 5th World Summit on Media for Children 2007, Media as a Tool for Global Peace and Democracy. The Children and Broadcasting Foundation for Africa (CBFA) is to host the 5th World Summit on Media for Children. The event is expected to bring together around one thousand delegates plus some 300 teenagers. Unlike past Summits on Media for Children, the youngsters will be taking official part in the main plenary sessions.

March 30. University of Connecticut, Storrs, Conn. The theme of the 5th Annual Northeast Media Literacy Conference is "The Mass Media, Children, and Values." Description: "The growing media literacy movement has helped children and youth to become more media literate for many years now, with a major emphasis upon accessing, analyzing, and evaluating the many complex messages presented through the mass media, particularly advertising in its many forms and formats. The rapid spread of new technology devices and techniques have had a great impact upon the types and extent of mass media exposure in today’s youth culture, including cell phones, voice and text messaging, ipods, blogs, MySpace, Facebook, ebay, video games, etc. But what impact has all of this mass media exposure and technology had on children and youth in terms of their thinking, choices, priorities, actions…and their values?"

June 23-27. St. Louis, Missouri. The biannual National Media Education Conference (NMEC), hosted by the Alliance for a Media Literate America, is the largest, oldest and most comprehensive professional conference for teachers, academics, youth advocates, health professionals and media activists to learn about media literacy education. The first annual Media Literacy Education Research Summit is a pre-conference event held June 23 and 24, immediately prior to the NMEC. The Summit will host an international group of experts from a diverse array of fields who will convene to review the existing research evidence about the efficacy of media literacy education and to develop a research agenda for the future.

SPECIAL OFFERS:

KIDS FIRST!® Cares
Through the combined efforts of Corporations for Character, KIDS FIRST!® , and your generous donation, we can fulfill our mission to provide positive, encouraging movies into each of more than one million children's hospital beds. This effort will provide entertainment for children while they are confined in a hospital. To support KIDS FIRST!® Cares, visit kidsfirstcares.org. All credit card transactions are secure.

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Become a Coalition for Quality Children's Media Member
If you've found our e-zine and web site helpful, please consider becoming a member of KIDS FIRST!® Members help underwrite the various projects of this organization. The Coalition for Quality Children's Media relies on the generous support of its members and donors to support its programs. An individual/family membership is only $25/year. An organizational membership is $100/year. An independent producer membership is $200. To join, go to: http://www.kidsfirst.org or contact our office at 505.989.8076 or KIDS FIRST!®.

VISIT OUR MEMBERS' SITES ******************
Please visit our website for an up-to-date list of Coalition members by visiting http://www.kidsfirst.org/kidsfirst/html/whomem.htm.

IF YOU FIND THIS NEWSLETTER USEFUL . . . FORWARD IT TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY ****************

This newsletter may be reprinted with permission.
Copyright 2002 by Coalition for Quality Children's Media, http://www.kidsfirst.org

ABOUT CQCM AND KIDS FIRST!®
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KIDS FIRST!® is the not-for-profit Coalition for Quality Children's Media's initiative that evaluates and rates children's media - videotapes, CD-ROM's and television - using a highly acclaimed method that has been praised by parents and educators alike. It utilizes professionally designed criteria and evaluation tools and engages a volunteer jury comprising child development professionals, teachers and parents nationwide and children of diverse geographic, socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. KIDS FIRST!® endorsed titles appeal to people around the world and include many programs on topics important to children's development. KIDS FIRST!® -endorsed titles are available on CQCM's award-winning Internet site, in the KIDS FIRST!® Film Festival and in reviews we provide to more than 75 publications.

CQCM evaluates feature films, television programs, videos, CD-ROM, DVDs and audio recordings. For an application form and application deadlines, visit our website at http://www.kidsfirst.org, call our office (505.989.8076).
Coalition for Quality Children's Media, 112 W. San Francisco St. , Suite 305A, Santa Fe, NM 87501.