Report on the Evaluation of the Media-Smart Youth Curriculum

The NICHD conducted an evaluation of the Media-Smart Youth: Eat, Think, and Be Active! curriculum to determine the impact of the program on adolescent knowledge, skills, and behavioral intent in the areas of media analysis, nutrition, and physical activity. This report describes the methods used for that evaluation and the results.

Media-Smart Youth: Eat, Think, and Be Active! ® is an after-school curriculum that seeks to empower young people aged 11 to 13 years to make healthful choices about nutrition and physical activity by helping them understand how media can influence their lives. This is a unique intervention for young people in that it addresses four key areas of learning: nutrition, physical activity, media awareness, and media analysis skills. The curriculum integrates these subjects and encourages youth to learn by engaging in fun activities that enable them to become media savvy.