Now, more than ever, families are in need of assistance navigating the powerful and persuasive media culture. In January, the Kaiser Family Foundation released a study stating that kids ages 8-18 are exposed to 7 hours and 38 minutes of screen time a day. Parents, teachers, and everyone who works with young people need to be involved in helping children make smart decisions about media consumption.
For this reason, it was sad news that the National Institute on Media and the Family (NIMF), a nationally recognized authority on media and positive youth development, was forced to close its doors at the end of 2009. Fortunately, NIMF has transferred its award-winning programs to Search Institute, where they will live on and continue helping families make positive, values-based decisions about technology and media.
Read the press release about the closing of the institute
Founded by psychologist Dr. David Walsh in 1996, NIMF was the world’s leading and most respected research-based organization on both the positive and harmful effects of media on children and youth. The organization’s vision was to be a resource to parents, teachers, community leaders, and other caring adults to help children thrive within a dynamic media culture.
“We are thrilled that Search Institute will be the new home for these important programs,” said Nathan Dungan, board chair of the National Institute on Media and the Family. “Although the decision was not easy, I believe we came up with a plan that will honor the work the National Institute on Media and the Family has accomplished over the last 13 years.”
The many programs and resources of NIMF transferred to the Search Institute include the following:
- Say Yes to No® – Based on Dr. Walsh’s best-selling book, the Say Yes to No Parent Program provides parents across the nation with the knowledge and skills they need to foster self-discipline and self-reliance for children’s success and happiness.
See the Say Yes to No leader’s kit
- Switch® – A program to combat the growing childhood obesity epidemic, Switch has encouraged families to Switch What You Do™, Switch What You View™ and Switch What You Chew™.
- through-U® Families Become MediaWise – As the National Institute on Media and the Family’s core media habits education program, through-U provides the resources necessary for educating parents on the impact of media on children’s health, behavior, pre-literacy skills, and school readiness.
See ParentFurther for advice on kids, technology, and media
- MediaWise® – The trademark and program name for the resources on MediaWise.org, an international Web site resource for parents, educators and community leaders.
Read more about Search Institute and the National Institute on Media and the Family
