CHSW student places in Courageous RI Youth Media Contest

Cranston High School West student Eduardo Velasco won second prize in the Courageous RI Youth Media Contest. The contest challenged students to answer the question “How can media literacy, active listening, kindness and compassion and community engagement reduce the hate and fear that leads to violence?”

Courageous RI is a collaboration between Media Education Lab and the University of Rhode Island Youth Media Contest Celebration at Rhode Island PBS.

The contest awarded over $10,000 in prizes, with the $1000 grand prize going to Yale student Nico Upegui from Providence for his song “My Child.” Tanya Bachu, from the Brownell Talbot School in Omaha, Nebraska, won third prize for her poem “Whispers of Light.”

Velasco’s project, “The Power of Fire,” is an anti-misinformation graphic design project that will be displayed on a billboard on Interstate 95 during the summer.

“Preventing rising violence and extremism requires authentic and respectful conversations, especially in online spaces,” said Catherine Morris, program director of Courageous RI. “Young people like the participants in our Youth Media Contest are leading by example to make those conversations the norm among their peers.”

Velasco is one of five winners from Rhode Island and 16 overall, with some contestants submitting from as far as Ukraine.

“The Courageous RI initiative has been an engaging and inclusive pathway that has helped so many people discover connections between media literacy, active listening, and violence prevention,” said Dr. Renee Hobbs, Media Education Lab founder and co-director. “The young creators we celebrated at the event represent the potential for a more media literate, less divisive, and more empathetic future. They inspire our optimism about a future where critical thinking about media helps people reduce the fear and hate that leads to violence.”

Dr. Benjamin Thevenin, an associate professor at Brigham Young University’s Department of Theatre and Media Arts, managed the contest and awarded the prizes. He also gave remarks, joined by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Danette Frederique.

“Here in Rhode Island and across the globe, young people increasingly face a need for media literacy in their day-to-day lives,” said Kate Ray, a teacher at Cranston West. “As an educator, it is truly inspiring to see youth engage in media literacy education and receive encouragement and recognition from organizations like Courageous RI.”

Winners also participated in a panel discussion moderated by reporter Michelle San Miguel of Rhode Island PBS Weekly discussing the importance of using media literacy to address the problem of hateful propaganda and disinformation.

"At Rhode Island PBS and The Public's Radio, we highly value media literacy education and its importance for future generations," Co-CEO of Rhode Island PBS Foundation and The Public's Radio, David W. Piccerelli said in a press release. "We were proud to support Courageous RI and the talented students involved. Their exceptional work empowers us to continue our mission of producing trustworthy content and resources that our community can rely on."

Editor’s Note: Anisha Kumar is a Beacon Media summer editorial intern.