The Media Challenge Academy/HUB is a media space created with an aim of providing media students a platform to get hands on practice through training, mentorship and experiential peer to peer learning. The academy is an accelerator platform that provides value addition by enhancing practical learning for media students giving them an opportunity to have hands on experiential sessions to supplement their class theories.
The HUB/Academy provides a practical wholesome experience targeting the mind, body and soul aiming at producing an all-round market fitting journalist. Our tailored practical workshops include radio presentation/production, TV Presentation/production, photography, social media and confidence building workshops on goal setting and storytelling.
Our vision for the HUB is a space that can be used for training, presentation, brainstorming, production and peer to peer skill and experience sharing in a community of media creativity. In this space, students will not only access practical training but will also develop a bond to foster a greater sense of professional and community pride geared to building the next generation of journalists.
The Academy/HUB has;
- Workshop room for up to 20 people
- Radio Studio and Recording studio
- Photography Studio
- TV Presentation and Production studio set
- Online radio and TV
- Blog
- Administrative Units for the project managers
- High Speed Internet
- Shelving and Lockable Storage for valuable equipment
Our workshops include in their chronological order
- Goal setting for journalists
- Skill assessment exercises
- Radio presentation and production
- TV presentation and production
- Beat reporting: Identifying your niche/beat
- Photography for journalists
- Social media for journalists
- Media entrepreneurship and innovation
- Introducing Solutions journalism
- Career guidance for journalists
Challenge
According to a 2014 World Bank study, 70% of over 40,000 fresh graduates in Uganda are unable to secure a job. Another 2014 survey by the Inter-University Council for East Africa states that 63% of youth in Uganda lack employable skills. Most media organizations we have worked with claim that they struggle to find students with relevant and required market skills. This is attributed to the limited opportunities for practical training. We are ready to bridge the gap between the university and the market by skilling the students before they hit the market.
The solution
Action learning and practical peer to peer interactions deliberated out of classroom environments targeting to empower learners with the demanded market skills. Our media workshops are tailor made to the needs of the market and to produce an all-round journalist ready to hit the market.
Mentorship: We believe that for students to understand and excel in the journalism industry, they will need a career mentors that have experience and expertise in the market. We will connect all our students to mentors for professional career guidance.
Why you should join Media Challenge Academy.
- Peer to peer learning: Study reveals youth learn best when they interact with their fellow peers. We have been there and we know what we should have done better to make it. We made mistakes and we want you to learn from our mistakes and not yours.
- Practice makes perfect and permanent: Repetitive action builds confidence and experience of the learner (Use our state of the art TV and Radio studio whenever you want)
- Position and placement: We get the learner out of the classroom and give them a typical work placement experience and a role to play or position. We will connect you to job and internship placements with media companies
- Partnerships: We have worked with media students for the last 4 years as partners. We are creating strategic partnerships with other stakeholders to ensure a successful future for our learners
- Positive mentorship: Grooming the next generation of journalists will require mentors. We will connect you to mentors who have made it
- Profile YOU: We will profile you and the work you do here at the academy via our website and you-tube and we will make the world know you
- Passion: We are driven by passion
- Pure fun: We make learning fun and adventurous. Be part of the fun
- Produce your own radio/TV show: Students will have a chance to develop a professional concept and produce their own show which can be used as a demo