Youth learn their way – through technology:

Toronto, June 7, 2007 –Mobile Jam Fest (MJF), http://mobilejamfest.com, the world’s largest youth creativity festival announces international partnerships with Do Something.org, Taking IT Global, and the Toronto
Foundation for Student Success to create a user-generated film
competition for 14-18 year olds. The competition is designed to
encourage youth to create dynamic films on what the Millennium
Development Goals (MDG) mean to them. The goals of the MDG/MJF competition are to educate youth on the issues that affect us all at home and abroad.

"When Dr. Kirsty Duncan, Vice-Chair of TFSS, brought the Millennium Development Goals youth project to Mobile Jam Fest we were delighted with their enthusiastic response. They just got it right away. With over 1 in 3 students in Toronto living in poverty, this film competition provides an opportunity for youth in Canada’s largest school board to explore the issue of child poverty and student hunger not only in international terms but in their own backyard." Lorraine Nowina, Executive Director and CEO, TFSS

Launching September 4, 2007
Youth from around the world will be able to create and upload their
film to http://mobilejamfest.com. Every 8 weeks they will be
challenged to create a new film on one of the eight goals – Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, Achieve universal primary education, Promote gender equality and empower women, Reduce child mortality, Improve maternal health, Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, Ensure environmental sustainability, Develop a Global Partnership for Development.

"Do Something empowers young people changing our world for the better. We are excited to support Mobile Jam Fest and a generation of change-makers who support the Millennium Development Goals, film and activism!" Caroline Walker, dosomething.org

Awards will include tuition towards college or university anywhere in the world, as well as Xbox 360 entertainment consoles. At the end of each 8-week competition, anyone may vote for his or her favorite film for the following two weeks. People may view and vote online and with their mobile phones.

"This competition embraces the values of MJF. It provides an incredible platform for youth to express themselves and creates an excellent teaching tool for parents and teachers to engage youth via their social lifeline – the internet and their mobile phone." Craig Goodwill, Executive Director, MJF.

The MJF website offers participants and teachers tools and tutorials on all elements of the MDG and the creative process. Through MJF, youth will collaborate and learn more about creativity, social justice and the MDG themselves.

"TakingITGlobal is thrilled to be a part of this initiative. The
Millennium Development Goals and youth are both integral to a
successful future of the world we live in. By exposing youth worldwide to the MDGs in a uniquely creative way we have a chance at helping them understand the importance of attaining these goals," says Kirsten Jordan, TakingITGlobal’s Online Community Partnerships Coordinator

Additional Information:

What are the Millennium Development Goals?
The eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – which range from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education, all by the target date of 2015 – form a blueprint agreed to by all the world’s countries and all the world’s leading development institutions. They have galvanized unprecedented efforts to meet the needs of the world’s poorest.
http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals

Mobile Jam Fest (MJF)
The world's largest international creativity festival for youth aged 14to 25 is gearing up for its second year. MJF is building on its
overwhelming first year success and the site includes detailed
information on all the contests, concerts, and schools, and news on how MJF is continuing its mandate to create new, dynamic, user-generated platforms, where youth can create, educate and communicate their values.

Dosomething.org, http//dosomething.org
The Do Something website is a community where young people learn, listen, speak, vote, volunteer, ask, and take action to make the world a better place. Currently, only 23% of this generation actively volunteers. Our hope is to create a do something generation: a world where more than 51% of young people are involved with community action.

Toronto Foundation for Student Success, http://www.studentsuccess.ca The Toronto Foundation for Student Success’ (TFSS) mission is student focused: We will assist students to benefit physically, emotionally and intellectually from each school day. Since 1998, we have more than doubled the numbers of Nutrition Programs and number of students fed
each school day. This school year, we will administer more than 490 Nutrition Programs feeding over 85,000 students in Toronto each school day.

TakingITGlobal, http://www.takingitglobal.org is an international
non-profit organization led by young people for young people. Its
mission is to inspire young people, on a variety of levels, to create
positive social change in the world by providing them with information, connections, resources, and knowledge.

For more information: Do Something, http://dosomething.org, Taking IT Global, kirsten@takingitglobal.org and the Toronto Foundation for Student Success, http://studentsuccess.ca.

For more information on MJF or to learn more on how to become involved please contact Craig Goodwill at craig@mobilejamfest.com.