By the time most American children reach their fifth birthday, they will have consumed thousands of hours of programming, advertisements and other messages. Now an innovative program at Temple University is giving them the tools they need to make sense of it all.

The "Powerful Voices for Kids" summer program brings together researchers, students, teachers and children to improve media literacy in the information age. Offered through the School of Communications and Theater's Media Education Lab, the program emphasizes how online choices have real-world consequences in an increasingly digital and interactive world.

Over one month, students in the summer enrichment program at the Russell Byers Charter School learn to deconstruct media messages and how to create their own. One exercise involves watching a short program clip and answering questions such as "Who is the author and what is his purpose?" and "Who is the target audience?"

Students in the program also flex their creative muscles during week-long projects in which they produce music tracks, create newscasts, write scripts and film movies.

Another component of Powerful Voices teaches local and national educators to apply media literacy to their curricula. Participants work with the students and receive 25 hours of professional training.

"In a lot of elementary schools, computers and technologies are still in the closet because teachers haven't discovered strategies to effectively use them," said Renee Hobbs, professor of Mass Media and Communication and program founder. "But our program includes a development-rich outreach and research component that really helps schools begin to roll with digital media in the classroom."

After a successful first summer in 2009, the program has drawn educators from across the country to this year's class.

"We recognize that the heart of our metro engagement is serving educators here in the Delaware Valley and Philadelphia public schools, but we're excited that our project has aroused the interest of educators across the country," said Hobbs.

Powerful Voices for Kids has been funded by grants from the Wyncote Foundation, the Verizon Foundation and the Byerschool Foundation.