The Newsstand - KIDS FIRST!® News 2006

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

Dear Friends,

I've been doing a lot of thinking this month about the KIDS FIRST!® Cares initiative Ranny mentioned in our last issue. Her letter brought back memories of long days in the hospital. Time seemed to run so slowly as I tried to forget about the pain and discomfort I experienced. What a gift these media boxes will be to children and their families with many hours of quality programming and no commercials. I encourage you to look into the program and find out more about it if you have not done so already. Information can be found at http://www.kidsfirstcares.org/.

On a less serious note, we're on spring break! To celebrate, my boys and I are heading down to Long Island to visit my parents. While we are there, we are going check out the Long Island Children's Museum, one of the KIDS FIRST!® Film Festival members. I have been very impressed with their programming and look forward to seeing the theater and playing in the many exhibits. I'll let you know what we discover in our next issue.

In this issue, the main article is based on a somewhat controversial topic, videos for infants. We at KIDS FIRST!® realize that there are times and places when parents will want to have their infants to watch a video. We are dedicated to providing quality media for these times. Some of our favorite title are the ones that encourage parent and child interaction such as Sesame Beginnings: Beginning Together. If you would like be part of the screening process, check out our juror program at http://www.kidsfirst.org/kidsfirst/fbecju.htm.

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
Contact Me

Dear Readers,

This morning I got an email from CQCM Board member, Ed Greene, who works at Sesame Workshop. Ed never ceases to amaze me. In this email, he talked about his recent trip to Kosovo where Sesame has a project providing educational outreach programs in three languages: Serbian Latinic/Roman, Serbian Cyrillic, and Albanian.

As I sipped my morning cappuccino, my mind drifted back a few years to a conversation with our former board chairman, Ed Palmer who was developing the curriculum for a TV series in Macedonia, produced by Search for Common Ground called Nashe Maalo (Our Neighborhood). This program has played with huge success at our KIDS FIRST! Film Festivals over the last couple of years. It addresses racist behaviors that are framed in the context of the cultural mix in Macedonia but are not untypical of racist behaviors we can relate to in our own country.

One of my long-standing beliefs is the power of media to educate children in broad strokes. It can deliver lessons about science, math, and language skills but just as certainly, it can teach us about other people - their culture, how they live, what they believe in, and how they're not so different from us. Perhaps, in the long run, it can help unteach intolerance (a term used by the kind people at the Third Millennium Foundation).

I invite you to scroll through our ever-expanding list of film festival venues to seek out some of these great programs that we've scheduled for this quarter's festivals that help promote human rights and tolerance. One such titles is Paperclips, which examines an extraordinary experiment in Holocaust education where students decide to collect six-million paper clips to better understand the extent of this crime. I hope you find it as compelling as I did.

Much love,

Ranny Levy
Founder and President, KIDS FIRST!®

LETTERS FROM READERS

I love the pictures of you and your family doing the crafts. I've never tried the tissue paper eggs; what a great idea! I'm copying the site again to my students' families, and especially highlighting the tissue paper eggs, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom letters, and wire animals. Three super great ideas! The kindergarten teacher next door to me was so happy to hear of an easier/quicker way to "dye" eggs and the kids got to see the colors blended this morning as they took the tissue paper off. - Sharon, western NY, first grade teacher.

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. To register or get more information, please visit our KIDS FIRST!® juror's page.

KIDS FIRST!® WEB STORE FEATURES
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KING OTIS AND THE KINGDOM OF GOODE: A TALE OF SHARING. McFlicken, a selfish creature who lives in a tree, thinks he'll be happiest if he doesn't have to share with the neighbors, especially his tree worms and wing repair glue. But when he finally gets the big tree to himself, he realizes that, without sharing, there can be no happiness. When a baby Lird appears, McFlicken gets the chance he needs to bring his friends home! DVD. 30 min.; $13.58; Age: 3-6. So Smart! Productions.

IS YOUR MAMA A LLAMA? AND MORE STORIES ABOUT GROWING UP. Lloyd the llama is looking for his mama. "Is your mama a llama?" he asks a bat, a swan, a cow, a seal, and a kangaroo. Young children will share Lloyd's delight when the answer to his question is finally, "Yes!" Adult Juror Comments: Good tool for language development. Good role models. DVD. 52 min.; $12.70; Age: 2-7.Scholastic Entertainment.

RED RIDING HOOD, AND MORE JAMES MARSHALL FAIRY TALE FAVORITES. Zanily adapted fairy tales (Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, Rapunzel, Chicken Little and Goldilocks and the Three Bears) by humorist James Marshall, brought to vivid life. Music by Ernest V. Troost. Adult Juror Comments: Classic, familiar tales, in original version. More violent than contemporary stories but the violence is well handled. Granny emerges from the wolf's stomach after being eaten in Little Red Riding Hood and comments that it's too dark to read in there. The Three Little Pigs was a big hit with the kids. DVD. 59 min.; $12.70; Age: 3-8. Scholastic Entertainment.

CLICK, CLACK, MOO COWS THAT TYPE AND MORE FUN ON THE FARM. Country superstar, Randy Travis, narrates the title tale about a barnyard mutiny on Farmer Brown's farm. Cows that type? Hens that strike? Be sure to pack your funny bone for a hilarious trip to the farm. Adapted from the Caldecott Honor Book. Spanish track. Adult Juror Comments: Classic collection of book-based stories. Wonderful music, narration and animation, perfectly suited to the story and the audience. Click Clack is fun, humorous with rousing music. Kid Juror Comments: Enjoyed the stories. Click Clack was a favorite and warranted repeat viewing. DVD. 52 min.; $2.70; Age: 2-5. New Video Group, Inc.

GOOD NIGHT, GORILLA, AND MORE BEDTIME STORIES. Make bedtime fun with Peggy Rathmann's magical and giggly tale. Narrated by Anthony Edwards. Contains popular book-based videos of Happy Birthday Moon, Good Night Gorilla, How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night and more. Kid Juror Comments: "My favorite was Patrick when the violin is played and makes people happy." "I liked the one when the animals get tucked in." Some kids were scared of the dinosaur movie. DVD. 51 min.; $12.70; Age: 2-6. New Video Group, Inc.

BABY SONGS: BABY'S BUSY DAY. Children's music legend, Hap Palmer, has pioneered the technique of integrating music and movement in the area of early childhood education. Fun, finger snapping songs introducing basic skills such as recognition of letters, colors, shapes and numbers. Adult Juror Comments: Lively, happy music and children. Cute pictures. Appropriate pace, doesn't talk down to kids. Language is respectful of genders and races. Good for preschoolers. "DVD format could be used by classroom teachers to teach pre-reading concepts to children." Kid Juror Comments: Bigger hit with preschoolers than toddlers and babies. Older kids danced around with the music, younger ones rocked back and forth. DVD. 60 min.; $8.48; Age: 1-5. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

CHICKA CHICKA BOOM BOOM, AND LOTS MORE LEARNING FUN!. This is a collection of four animated adaptations of children's books, including the title tale about a coconut tree that tries to hold all the letters of the alphabet. Also includes: Trashy Town, the 1968 classic Rosie's Walk,and The Caterpillar and the Polliwog. Adult Juror Comments: Stimulates language development and motivates adults to read more expressively to children. Good alphabet learning. Tells where trash comes from and how it's collected. Kid Juror Comments: "I liked the music, it made me want to dance." They enjoyed it and asked for it again and again. DVD. 60 min.; $12.70; Age: 2-7. New Video Group, Inc.

SECRET DOOR. A collection of nine songs interspersed with dialogue between singer Kitty Gill and imaginary character, Pixie Sage. Songs address experiences that children often don't have words for, such as anger, fear, sleeplessness, and love. Includes one song in French. Adult Juror Comments: Imaginative, respectful dialog. "If I have to listen to a children's CD over and over, I would not mind listening to this one." Kid Juror Comments: Enjoyed by all, even boys, although there isn't a boy in the CD. Pixie was especially endearing. Spurred their imaginations. Audio. 30 min.; $13.60; Age: 3-7. Pixie Sage LLC.

NEW ENDORSEMENTS
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More New Endorsements can be found at http://www.cqcm.org/kidsfirst/html/newendorsements.htm

*** = Titles receiving the highest scores are given a three-star rating.
** = Titles that meet or exceed the criteria receive a two-star rating.
* = Titles that meet the baseline criteria but require some extra consideration on the part of the viewer receive a one-star rating.

Video/DVD-Ages 2-5

** POCKET SNAILS: AQUAPHONIC ADVENTURE. Join the Pocket Snails on their new and exciting adventure, where they'll make some new underwater friends, ride in a submarine and scuba dive their way to learning the sounds of the letters. Helps teach letter sounds, vowels and letter recognition. Adult Juror Comments: Enjoyable, bright colors, catchy music. This is a cartoon about the alphabet. Pleasant narration, good for developing early language skills. Makes use of repetition, recognizable images. The concept of the vowels is more suitable for the older kids. Kid Juror Comments: Fun, kids watched intently. "I like the motor boat." "I like the snails." One 5-year-old said, "I think this is good for little kids to learn the alphabet." (She knows hers already). They did ask to watch it again, and the older ones recognized some of the printed words on screen. DVD. 25 min.; $15.95; Age: 3-6. SOARING STAR PRODUCTIONS, LLC.

** SMART COOKIE!: PYJAMA PARTY!. Preschool curriculum is seamlessly woven into a fun-filled Pyjama Party where 9 kids subtly teach preschool fundamentals (rhymes, fruits, colors, actions, body parts, numbers, the alphabet), good manners, and pro-social skills. Adult Juror Comments: Moves well and holds interest. Audio quality is sometimes problematic but it's well constructed and flows well. It begins with kids playing games outside and moves inside to the kitchen, living room, then upstairs to play and sleep. Songs, rhymes, and activities are appropriate to each location, with familiar songs predominant. The woven talent appear to be primarily of East Indian descent, with slight Indian accent. Kid Juror Comments: Kids really enjoyed this and had only positive things to say. They all said they'd watch it again. They weren't particularly motivated to get up and join in the singing or activities but certainly enjoyed watching them. "I noticed how they said zed instead of z." DVD. 65 min.; $9.99; Age: 2-5. GYANNI, INC.

Video/DVD-Ages 8-12

*** THE SEVENTH BROTHER. Tiny, the puppy, is lost after being separated from Angie and her grandfather. Tiny must be faithful, courageous and friendly to find his way home. After spending a long night alone in the forest, Tiny is rescued and adopted by a family of rabbits. Unable to find Angie, Tiny decides to be the best brother he can be to the rabbit family. When danger threatens, he proves to be a hero. But as winter approaches, the rabbits realize Tiny is growing weaker and will not survive without the kind of food dogs need. Tiny's forest friends help him find his family. In his adventures, Tiny discovers that faith overcomes fear. Adult Juror Comments: Here's an animal story for young children with a message of tolerance, acceptance and love. Well produced. Helps children understand that even someone who is different has their own strengths. In this case, the dogs and the rabbits both help the other. Kids can relate to getting lost and needing help. Kid Juror Comments: Kids liked it. "It is the story about a little dog who gets lost." "It's a little sad at first, and I cried." "The dog gets lost, but the rabbits take care of him when he doesn't know his way home. When it gets really cold, Tiny gets sick and the rabbits help him find his way home." DVD. 76 min.; $12.95; Age: 8-12. FEATURE FILMS FOR FAMILIES.

SELECTIONS FROM KIDS FIRST!® FILM AND VIDEO FESTIVAL 2005
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For a complete list of all Festival titles currently being shown, visit our website.

DVD SNEAK PEEK
ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE CHIPMUNK ADVENTURE. A/L. 78 min.
High-flying, song-filled feature length film with hilarious high jinks. When David Seville takes off for Europe on a solo business trip, he leaves the disappointed boys at home with Miss Miller. All three chipmunks dream of world travel, but Alvin has a foolproof scheme to make it happen. Before Simon can say, "Are you out of your mind!" Alvin has entered them in a daring hot-air balloon race around the world against the Chipettes - Brittany, Jeanette and Eleanor. The winners will collect a prize of $100,000. Both the Chipmunks and the Chipettes get more than they bargained for when the race turns out to be a front for a pair of international diamond smugglers. Age: 4-8. PARAMOUNT HOME ENTERTAINMENT

DVD SNEAK PEEK
BARBIE DIARIES. A. 80 min.
It's a new school year, and Barbie hopes its going to be totally magical! Barbie and her best friends, who play together in a band (although they haven't played in front of an audience yet...), dream about what they hope to accomplish that year. Things get off to a rocky start when Barbie, who dreams of becoming an anchor at the school TV station, learns that not only has the position been filled by the popular Raquel, but that she has to be Raquel's assistant! To make matters worse, Raquel is dating the boy that Barbie wishes would notice her. When the girls go shopping, Barbie stumbles upon a special diary and a charm bracelet which - like magic - seem to turn things around for her in her life. Everything she seems to write in the diary comes true! This gives her the confidence to reach for all her dreams. Is the diary truly magical, or is there some other force at play? Age: 4-8. LIONSGATE FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT

DVD PREMIERE/SNEAK PEEK
DR. DOOLITTLE 3. L. 90 min. Quicktime trailer.
Maya Dolittle (Kyla Pratt) just wants to be a normal teenager, but there's one small problem…She's inherited her father's uncanny ability to talk to animals! Her special talent keeps landing her in the doghouse with her parents, and it's driving her friends completely ape. At a summer dude ranch, Maya tries to hide her unique ability so she can fit in, but when her friends are in trouble, she comes to the rescue as only a Doolittle can--enlisting the aid of the ranch's uproarious and outrageous talking animals. This hilarious third installment of the wildly popular Dr. Dolittle series is more family fun than a barrel of talking monkeys…and lots easier to clean up after. Age: 10-14. TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT

DVD SNEAK PEEK
MAYA & MIGUEL: CINCO DE MAYA. A. 110 min. View Trailer
You'll have twice the fun with the Santos twins, Maya and Miguel, as they celebrate Hispanic culture in "cinco" fun-filled episodes. Join in on their vibrant world of big laughs, family fun and fabulous adventures as they work together with their friends to solve problems - while having fun along the way! (c) 2006 Scholastic Entertainment, Inc. SCHOLASTIC, MAYA & MIGUEL, and logos are trademarks of Scholastic Inc. All rights reserved. Age: 4-8. LIONSGATE FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT

DVD SNEAK PEEK
PAPERCLIPS. L. 83 min.
Whitwell Middle School in rural Tennessee is the setting for this documentary about an extraordinary experiment in Holocaust education. Struggling to grasp the concept of six-million Holocaust victims, the students decide to collect six-million paper clips to better understand the extent of this crime against humanity. The film details how the students met Holocaust survivors from around the world and how the experience transformed them and their community. Age: 12-18. HART SHARP VIDEO

DVD SNEAK PEEK
PLANET OF THE APES. L. 112 min.
Charlton Heston and two other astronauts come out of deep hibernation to find that their ship has crashed. Escaping with little more than clothes, they find that they have landed on a planet where men are pre-lingual and uncivilized while apes have learned speech and technology. Heston is captured and taken to the city of the apes after damaging his throat so that he is silent and cannot communicate with the apes. Age: 10-15. TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT

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

The Baby Prodigy Company http://www.babyprodigy.com

Fun Kid Videos c/o Film Pharm, Inc. http://www.funkidvideos.com

MEMBER NEWS
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Nickelodeon's 19th Annual Kids' Choice Awards
Saturday, April 1, was the most watched Kids' Choice Awards ever with 6.0 million total viewers tuning in. The live simulcast of the show on TurboNick logged in with 1.2 million unique visitors.

Congratulations to Don Juan and Miguel, LLC
Lost Princess has been nominated for a Remi at Worldfest in Houston and has received "Best Picture" at the Danville International Children's Film Festival in Danville, California.

MEDIA NEWS
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Share the Earth Day on PBS
Two special episodes of the new hit series It’s a Big Big World will air on Friday, April 21st . In keeping with the spirit of Earth Day, the episodes will focus on the environment, touching on topics such as recycling, energy and conservation. www.pbskids.org

Who's America's Greatest Filmmaker?
Fox new endeavor in reality TV-American Idol style in an upcoming show entitled On the Lot. Aspiring young filmmakers will compete for a development deal with DreamWorks studio.

Winnie the Pooh Get a Star
In celebration of his 80th anniversary, Winnie The Pooh receives a star on the "Hollywood Walk of Fame." Disney Home Entertainment's is also releasing the re-mastered movie, Pooh's Grand Adventure The Search for Christopher Robin.

FAMILY AND PARENTING NEWS
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Sesame Street Continues Healthy Habits for Life
One of the nation's leading tree fruit shippers and some of the most beloved characters on children's television are teaming up to bring the health and nutrition of fresh apples and cherries to consumers and retailers nationwide. Details.

Promoting Online Safety
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the Advertising Council and News Corporation and MySpace, have entered into a joint effort to promote online safety through public service announcements. Read More.

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Videos for the Very Young by Christine L. Pollock

If you ever feel like creating a hullabaloo amongst parents on the playground, just bring up the topic of infants watching TV. It is true, in this increasingly media-infiltrated world, that no age group is immune to the power of the screen. Some parents keep their infants far away from any sort of monitor, believing that it can inhibit natural development. Others believe it's not a big deal and actually has many benefits. In the 2003 report Zero to Six: Electronic Media in the Lives of Infants, Toddlers and Preschoolers, the Kaiser Family Foundation reports 58% children 0-3 watch TV every day. 51% have asked for specific shows or channels.

Shalom Fisch, former Vice President for Program Research at Sesame Workshop, and a KIDS FIRST!® consultant states that the bottom line is that many of our youngest children watch TV daily and parents and caregivers may want to balance the amount of visual media shown in the household. If the monitor is on, it is critical for caregivers to know the content not only of TV, but all media to which out children are exposed. We at KIDS FIRST!® believe that the best experience for the child is one where the parent and child interact while viewing the media. Titles such as Sesame Beginnings: Beginning Together encourage parents to sing and dance and play games with their children. Nicole Sachs, cofounder and managing partner of tinyguides believes that in addition to having this interactive media, "Programming must be educational, but most importantly, inspirational to the child." The first title in tinyguide's "follow me" series, it's time to eat, does just this. Sachs encourages families to watch with the infants, then guide them in turning the visual lesson into their own life experience.

Pulling together visual, play and learning encounters between parent and child is a strength of the So Smart! Productions' series, founded by Alex and Scott Tornek. Ms. Tornek found her unique education and work history (fifteen years in the fields of art and psychology, scientific researching, painting and illustrating) has enabled her to develop innovative learning products for a growing market that has come to include kids of all ages.

Ms. Tornek finds that, in part, what attracts babies visually is innate. For instance, infants will prefer to look at objects high in contrast, such as the pupils of the eyes or the source of mother's milk (the nipple). Not surprisingly, when watching television, bold, high-contrast, colorful, simple images and concepts are the types of visuals your baby will be able to best absorb and process. In addition, due to their age, slow-moving images with few, or no, abrupt scene changes are best matched to these early stages of development. Music, too, should be gentle or playful, but never loud or startling.

The informative So Smart! website (http://www.sosmart.com) points out that television is meant to entertain adults. Caregivers should "mute" the sound on the TV set and count how many "jump-cuts," or abrupt scene changes, you see. Our adult brains are able to process information quickly and "fill in the gaps" to convert a series of well-calculated, individual scenes into a meaningful story experience. Children need more time to make these transitions. Parents should look for programming that is slower and has information specialized for their child's age level.

I have seen the wondrous effects of good programming in my own children. My son watched a video during asthma treatments and completely forgot his fear of the nebulizer mask. My other son loved to cuddle and talk about the color stories he saw on the So Smart! videos. While the topic is controversial, KIDS FIRST!® believes that if infants are going to watch visual media, provide the best possible quality with the help of organizations like KIDS FIRST!®. You can find many of our reviewed titles in our webstore at http://www.kidsfirstmedia.com/ages/infants.html.

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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)

Music
Music is a vital part of the life of children. Music helps them to appreciate rhythm, helps them to move, and they learn to sing a variety of songs. All of these activities add enrichment to their every day. Music is available in many forms and performances. In each of these areas you can help your child by using media like videos and CDs to complement all these activities. A wonderful CD for inside play is I Love Toy Trains, the Music.

Craft
Candy Train based on I Love Toy Trains, the Music

Materials: Hot glue gun, a roll of hard candy (like Lifesavers), 4 wrapped peppermint candies, 2 wrapped caramels, a wrapped chocolate kiss, a short length of yarn or string (optional)

For instructions, go to craft page.

KIDS FIRST!® Film and Video Festival Schedule
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Join us as we travel around the country with film festivals. Find out when we will be in a town near you. For details read here

ARIZONA
Yuma, AZ

CALIFORNIA
Los Angeles, CA
Newport Beach, CA
San Jose, CA
Tiburon, CA

COLORADO
Denver, CO

FLORIDA
Miami, FL

HAWAII
Hanapepe, HI

ILLINOIS
Rockford, IL

INDIANA
Fort Wayne, IN

LOUISIANA
New Orleans, LA

MASSACHUSETTS
Brookline MA
Williamstown, MA

MICHIGAN
Ironwood, MI

MINNESOTA
Minneapolis, MN

NEW MEXICO
Albuquerque, NM
Santa Fe, NM

NEVADA
Las Vegas, NV

NEW YORK
Brooklyn, NY
Garden City, NY
New York, NY
Queens, NY

NORTH CAROLINA
Wilmington

OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma City, OK

OREGON
Ashland, OR

TENNESSEE
Nashville, TN

TEXAS
Austin, TX
Canyon Lake, TX
Comfort, TX
Dallas, TX
Ft. Worth, TX
Grand Prairie, TX
Houston, TX
Little Elm, TX
Odessa, TX
Pflugerville, TX
Port Isabel, TX
Round Rock, TX
Spring, TX
The Woodlands, TX
Uvalde, TX

UTAH
Salt Lake City, UT

VERMONT
Shelburne, VT

WASHINGTON
Seattle, WA

WISCONSIN
Milwaukee, WI

WASHINGTON DC
Washington, DC

Other Events:

May 4 - 6, 2006. Hilton Pittsburgh Towers, Pittsburgh, PA. Women's Funding Network 22nd Annual Conference will explore women and the media, specifically how the women's funding movement can take its rightful place in print, on the airwaves, and online. For more information see http://www.wfnet.org/events/.

May 6 - 9, 2006. David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, PA. Council on Foundations Annual National Conference. Information and events list at http://www.cof.org.

May 10, 2006 - DEADLINE. Aging and Ageism Student Video/Storyboard Competition. AMLA member Jennifer Swift-Kramer reports: The Aging and Ageism Caucus of the National Women's Studies Association (NWSA) invites Oakland, California, area high school students to submit videos or storyboards about intergenerational mentorship among women, or women learning as they age. More information.

May 15 and November 15, 2006 - DEADLINE. Ethics & Excellence in Journalism Research & Educational Projects. The Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation was established in
1982 for charitable, scientific, and educational purposes, including the improvement of the quality of the practice of journalism among various media. This support includes funding for creative projects and research that promotes excellence in journalism and instills and encourages high ethical standards in journalism. Funding is available to formal organizations only. Application deadlines are May 15 and November 15. For more information on the application process and requirements, please visit http://www.journalismfoundation.org/application.html.

May 25, 2006 - DEADLINE. Local Independents Collaborating with Stations Grant. A program of the Independent Television Service, LINCS gives independent producers and public television stations an opportunity to form full production and presentation partnerships. By providing matching funds to these partnerships, LINCS acts as a catalyst, helping independent
producers leverage the support of stations and helping stations access the talent of independent producers. For complete program information and application procedures, go to http://www.itvs.org/producers/funding.html.

May 26, 2006 - DEADLINE. Black Entertainment Television (BET) Rap-It-Up/Black AIDS Short Subject Film Competition. BET (Black Entertainment Television), the Black AIDS Institute, and the Kaiser Family Foundation have announced the 3rd Annual Rap-It-Up/Black AIDS Short Subject Film Competition. Submission deadline is May 26, 2006. For additional information, go to http://www.blackaids.org.

June 6-10, 2006. Media Literacy: Overseas Conversations Series III. Speakers include several international scholars from Spain and Brazil. click here for details.

June 15-18 Marriott Oakland City Center. The annual meeting of the National Women's Studies Association. For information go to: http://www.nwsa.org.

June 26-30, 2006 John Ansen Ford Amphitheater (across from the Hollywood Bowl). The What IFFF? Kids Film Festival and Film Camp. International Family Film Festival promotes and encourages the creation and sharing of the family film screenplay through professional and children's hands-on workshops and seminars. Submission Deadline: June 1, 2006. Applications are on their web site.

June 29-July 2, 2006. University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Democracy and Independence: Sharing News in a Connected World. The conference is designed for citizens interested in learning about new innovations in web, print, film, and audio news creation and delivery. More Information.

September 27-October 1, 2006 The Phoenix East/Mesa Hilton, Tucson, AZ. The 28th National Media Market. The National Media Market presents an exceptional opportunity for media professionals who purchase for public libraries, universities, media/technology centers and educational broadcasting to screen the newest and best quality motion media from 55 prominent producers and distributors. Professional Development sessions, workshops and roundtable discussions further enhance the Market experience.

November 19-24 Canada's National Media Education Week. The first of its kind in Canada, this week will highlight the importance of media literacy and Web literacy as key learning areas in the information age. Read More.

To add your event to this list, please send a notice to Chris.

CLASSIFIEDS

Hollow Tree is looking for a Casting Director in NYC. Casting begins mid-May. Contact Candace TenBrink with your resume at [email protected], no beginners please.

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, click here. All credit card transactions are secure.

For Homeschoolers
The Old Schoolhouse is the must have magazine for homeschoolers and right now they are offering a deal that is hard to pass up. With your 2- year subscription you will get approximately $300 in FREE homeschool materials - 19 complete gifts - and FREE shipping. Click here or call TOS at 1-888-718-HOME. The Old Schoolhouse is the magazine for homeschoolers. Please call today as gift inventory is limited to the first 5000 new subscribers.

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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.

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

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

ADVERTISE IN THE EMAIL EDITION OR ON THE KIDS FIRST!®WEB SITE
Contact Ann ************************

Send comments, questions and feedback to: Chris

To SUBSCRIBE to our free e-zine, KIDS FIRST!® NEWS: Send e-mail to join-[email protected] Or fill out the simple form at: http://www.kidsfirst.org To leave this list, send e-mail to [email protected] or use the link below: http://list.kidsfirst.org/cgi-bin/process.pl?id=18066423L

This newsletter may be reprinted with permission. Write to: [email protected]
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-ROMs 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 and Video 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) or send an email to Jury Coordinator.
Coalition for Quality Children's Media, 112 W. San Francisco St. , Suite 305A, Santa Fe, NM 87501.