Mobile Jam Fest announces partnerships for youth Millennium Development Goals film competition

Mobile Jam Fest announces partnerships for youth Millennium Development Goals film competition

Youth learn their way - through technology

TORONTO, June 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Mobile Jam Fest (MJF), http://mobilejamfest.com/, the world's largest youth creativity festival announces international partnerships with Do Something.org, Taking IT Global, and the Toronto Foundation for Student Success to create a user-generated film competition for 14-18 year olds. The competition is designed to encourage youth to create dynamic films on what the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) mean to them. The goals of the MDG/MJF competition are to educate youth on the issues that affect us all at home and abroad.

"When Dr. Kirsty Duncan, Vice-Chair of TFSS, brought the Millennium Development Goals youth project to Mobile Jam Fest we were delighted with their enthusiastic response. They just got it right away. With over 1 in 3 students in Toronto living in poverty, this film competition provides an opportunity for youth in Canada's largest school board to explore the issue of child poverty and student hunger not only in international terms but in their own backyard," said Lorraine Nowina, Executive Director and CEO, Toronto Foundation for Student Success.

Launching September 4, 2007, youth from around the world will be able to create and upload their film to http://mobilejamfest.com/. Every 8 weeks they will be challenged to create a new film on one of the eight goals - Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, Achieve universal primary education, Promote gender equality and empower women, Reduce child mortality, Improve maternal health, Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, Ensure environmental sustainability, Develop a Global Partnership for Development.

Awards will include tuition towards college or university anywhere in the world, as well as Xbox 360 entertainment consoles. At the end of each 8-week competition, anyone may view and vote online and with their mobile phones.

"This competition embraces the values of MJF. It provides an incredible platform for youth to express themselves and creates an excellent teaching tool for parents and teachers to engage youth via their social lifeline - the internet and their mobile phone," said Craig Goodwill, Executive Director, MJF.

The MJF website will offer participants and teachers tools and tutorials on all elements of the MDG and the creative process. Through MJF, youth will collaborate and learn more about creativity, social justice and the Millennium Development Goals themselves.

Source: Mobile Jam Fest

CONTACT: For more information on MJF visit http://mobilejamfest.com/, or
to learn more on how to become involved please contact Craig Goodwill at
craig@mobilejamfest.com

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