Just Think: mission

Mission, Vision and History

Our Mission

Just Think teaches young people to lead healthy, responsible, independent lives in a culture highly impacted by media. We develop and deliver cutting-edge curricula and innovative programs that build skills in critical thinking and creative media production.

Through our work, young people learn to:

Gain leadership abilities
Improve their academic performance
Make sound and healthy behavior decisions
Acquire practical workplace tools
Enhance their consumer choices
Engage positively with their peers, parents, educators, and community
Think for themselves

Our History

Founded in 1995 as a concerned response to the ever-increasing deluge of messages youth receive from television, radio, film, print media, electronic games, and the Internet, Just Think teaches young people media literacy skills for the 21st century. We have been successfully creating and delivering in-school, after school and online media arts and technology education locally, nationally and internationally for ten years.

Our Focus

Just Think has reached nearly 7,000 students, teachers, parents and others through direct programs, more than 30,000 individuals through screenings, exhibits, fairs, and other community events, and an additional 3,600,000 lives through unique media touches.

Just Think concentrates our efforts in two primary areas:

Producing innovative media arts and technology curricula that ignite young minds and encourage critical thinking
Delivering exciting in-school and after-school programs that teach essential media literacy concepts and vital media arts and technology skills to youth and their caring adults.

Just Think targets under-resourced populations from low-income communities. Our programs are designed for students of ages 8 to 18; educational institutions serving youth; and teachers, community leaders, and parents. Of the hundreds of students who completed our core media education programs in the United States, 35% were African American, 25% Latino, 20% Asian American, 10% Caucasian, and 10% other ethnic groups.

Our Vision

Just Think envisions a world of critically and creatively engaged young people who influence media more than media influence them, a world where being literate includes being media literate.

Just Think is a 501©(3) nonprofit funded by support from foundations, corporations, government grants and contracts, and individuals. We also earn income from program fees and curriculum sales. The budget for our 2004-2005 fiscal year is approximately $600,000.