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Draft:Project Look Sharp (Ithaca College)

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Project Look Sharp

Project Look Sharp (PLS) is a nonprofit media literacy initiative based at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York. Founded in 1996, it focuses on integrating critical thinking and media analysis into education through the use of inquiry-based pedagogy. Project Look Sharp provides free curriculum kits and professional development to educators across disciplines and grade levels. It is known for its Constructivist Media Decoding (CMD) approach, which teaches students to critically analyze media messages by asking questions about purpose, audience, and omissions.[1]

History

Project Look Sharp was launched in 1996 as a collaboration between educators and academic researchers at Ithaca College. The organization’s early work focused on local school partnerships in upstate New York and gradually expanded to serve national and international audiences. Its free curriculum kits and educator training programs gained traction in the 2000s as media literacy gained prominence in education policy discussions.[2]

In the 2010s, Project Look Sharp partnered on global education projects, including a U.S. State Department-funded initiative in Panama and a curriculum integration effort in Turkey.[3]

In 2021, the organization launched the “Librarians as Leaders for Media Literacy” (ML3) initiative with support from the Booth-Ferris Foundation. In 2023, a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) enabled the development of a national ML3 expansion plan in collaboration with the American Association of School Librarians (AASL).[4][5]

Pedagogy

Project Look Sharp’s signature teaching approach is Constructivist Media Decoding (CMD), which prompts students to evaluate media by asking structured questions regarding source, intent, and credibility. CMD emphasizes student-centered inquiry and active learning over passive reception.

This methodology has been positively received by independent education experts. In a RAND Corporation analysis of tools countering misinformation, Project Look Sharp was included in the Truth Decay Resource Hub for its capacity to build media analysis skills.[6]

The journal Social Education highlighted CMD’s effectiveness in teaching students to evaluate public health media during the COVID-19 pandemic.[7]

CMD is also discussed in teacher education videos,[8] dissertations,[9][10] and academic reviews.[11]

Curriculum and Programs

Project Look Sharp offers more than 900 free, downloadable lessons for K–12 and higher education, covering topics like climate change, propaganda, digital citizenship, and global history.[12] The New York State Education Department includes Project Look Sharp in its 2025 Media Literacy Toolkit as a leading content provider for grades 7–12 and college.[13]

The organization also provides professional development for teachers and librarians through webinars, workshops, and conference presentations. Its ML3 program trains school librarians as media literacy leaders and has been recognized by national education groups such as AASL.[14]

PLS has been featured in media literacy resource banks[15] and guides,[16] in educator toolkits,[17] and in library awards.[18]

Reception and Impact

In 2008, co-founder Chris Sperry received the National Council for the Social Studies Award for Global Understanding.[19] In 2024, co-founder Dr. Cyndy Scheibe received the NAMLE Elizabeth Thoman Service Award for lifetime contributions to media literacy.[20]

The School Library Journal highlighted Project Look Sharp’s inquiry-based media literacy lessons as useful tools for helping students assess bias and reliability in digital content.[21]

Project Look Sharp has also been featured in research from the Erikson Institute[22] and Wings of Eagles Discovery Center.[23]

See also

References

  1. ^ Rogow, Faith. Media Literacy for Young Children. NAEYC, 2023. https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/books/media-literacy
  2. ^ Disability Rights New York. 2020 White Paper on Media Literacy.
  3. ^ Riggio, Olivia. “Not All Media Literacy Programs Are Created Equal.” FAIR, December 15, 2020. https://fair.org/home/not-all-media-literacy-programs-are-created-equal/
  4. ^ Institute of Museum and Library Services. “ML3 Grant Award.” https://www.imls.gov/grants/awarded/re-254855-ols-23
  5. ^ American Association of School Librarians. “2024 Best Digital Tools for Teaching & Learning.” https://standards.aasl.org/best-tools
  6. ^ RAND Corporation. “Truth Decay Resource Hub.” https://www.rand.org/research/projects/truth-decay/fight-disinformation.html
  7. ^ Scheibe, Cyndy, and Chris Sperry. “Rx for an Infodemic: Media Decoding, COVID-19, and Online Teaching.” Social Education, vol. 84, no. 3, May/June 2020.
  8. ^ Media Education Lab. “College Teacher Case Study.” https://d10.mediaeducationlab.com/teacher-case-study-video-college
  9. ^ Moss, Scott H. Critical Algorithmic Literacy. UCLA Dissertation. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3jf0g48h
  10. ^ Collet-Gildard, Lauren. Critical Media Literacy in Social Studies: A Case Study. SUNY Albany Thesis. https://scholarsarchive.library.albany.edu/legacy-etd/2655/
  11. ^ Smith, Julie. “Book Review: The Teacher’s Guide to Media Literacy.” JMLE, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 96–98. https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1189&context=jmle
  12. ^ Project Look Sharp. “Curriculum Kits.” https://www.projectlooksharp.org
  13. ^ New York State Education Department. “Media Literacy Toolkit.” https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/media-literacy-toolkit.pdf
  14. ^ Center for Educational Equity. “Strategic Action Plan for Media Literacy.” 2024.
  15. ^ Colorado Department of Education. “Media Literacy Resource Bank.” https://www.cde.state.co.us/medialiteracy/media-literacy-resource-bank
  16. ^ KQED. “Digital Resources for Teaching About Media.” https://www.kqed.org/education/digital-resources-for-teaching-about-media
  17. ^ Democracy Toolkit. https://democracytoolkit.press/resources/emphasize-media-literacy-classroom/
  18. ^ Rochester Regional Library Council. “ARPA Library Grant Award.” https://rrlc.org/services/arpa
  19. ^ National Council for the Social Studies. “Media Literacy Week Partner.” https://www.socialstudies.org/about/ncss-partners-namle-media-literacy-week
  20. ^ NAMLE. “2024 Media Literacy Award Winners.” https://mlw.namle.org/2024-media-literacy-award-winners/
  21. ^ School Library Journal. “Fighting the Infodemic.” https://www.slj.com/story/Fighting-the-Infodemic-New-Strategies-for-News-Literacy-libraries-schools-students
  22. ^ Erikson Institute. “Media Literacy in Early Childhood.” https://www.erikson.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/TEC-MediaLiteracy-Report.pdf
  23. ^ Wings of Eagles Discovery Center. “Media Literacy Overview.” https://www.wingsofeagles.com/education/bioenergy-bioproducts-education-programs-bbep/115-2/media-literacy-project-look-sharp/
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