Digital Citizenship and Media Literacy Act

Digital Citizenship and Media Literacy Act

This bill directs the Department of Education to award grants to state and local educational agencies to promote media literacy and digital citizenship.

Media literacy includes the ability to access relevant information, analyze media content, evaluate the accuracy of information, and make educated decisions about products and services, education, health, and wellness based on information obtained from media and digital sources.

Digital citizenship includes the ability to safely, responsibly, and ethically use communication technologies and to participate in the political, economic, social, and cultural aspects of life related to technology and the digital world.

A state educational agency must use grant funds to carry out one or more specified activities, specifically (1) creating and supporting a media literacy advisory council, (2) assisting local educational agencies in the development of instruction in media literacy, (3) assisting local agencies in developing means of evaluating student learning in media literacy, and (4) assisting local agencies in developing or providing professional development for teachers that relates to media literacy.