Academy for Educational Development

The media landscape is vast and changes quickly. New products, tools, and devices for sharing content pop up every day and capture the attention of an eager audience. With so many messages being delivered in so many different ways, organizations working for positive social change need to be agile and creative.

AED has pioneered the use of media to change behavior in efforts ranging from getting kids to exercise to raising awareness about global poverty.

Tanzanian Radio Drama Explores Family Planning

In Tanzania, the straight-talking, no-nonsense character Mama Ushauri is promoting the benefits of family planning and clearing the air of myths and misconceptions about modern contraceptive methods. Through a weekly soap-opera drama that airs on national radio stations, the well-known Mama is spreading the word about effective reproductive health practices, HIV/AIDS and child- survival issues.

Campaign Raises Awareness about Global Poverty

To raise awareness among American working women about global poverty, AED’s One Shared World campaign highlights local-global connections and solutions. This public-education effort seeks to spark dialogue about what can be done to tackle issues such as health, education and economic progress.

Through the Web site, www.onesharedworld.org, AED encourages American working women to learn more, connect more and do more to support development assistance efforts. AED recruited four of the country’s most prestigious women’s organizations—the American Association of University Women, American Women in Radio and Television, the National Association of Women Business Owners, and the National Council of Negro Women—to be key partners in One Shared World.

Anti-Obesity Initiative Uses Video on the Web

We Can! is a national program to help children achieve a healthy weight. By posting videos on the Web site, YouTube, AED is using a relatively new form of media to reach parents and groups who want to address the issue of overweight or obese children. YouTube profile: www.youtube.com/nihwecan

Mama Ushauri and One Shared World are funded by USAID. We Can! is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health.