Network
Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth)
The Foundation is a co-initiator and funder of the establishment of the ICEML. It continuously promotes media literacy for the elderly, including a training program for Thai seniors to keep informed with the media, the recruitment of health communicators, the development of online games “Stop, Think, Ask, Act, and Share,” and a survey of the current situation and effects of media consumption among the elderly.
Department of Older Persons, Ministry of Social Development and Human Security
The ICEML is the result of a Memorandum of Understanding on National Cooperation signed in 2020 between the Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia, Mahidol University, and the Department of Older Persons, the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security. The research team of the Center has collaborated with the Department to organize various events to promote the continued use of media literacy programs in Thailand’s schools for the elderly.
The following networks oversee the pilot schools for the elderly in five provinces
Chamai Subdistrict Municipality, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province | Association for the Promotion of Wisdom for Society, Bangkok | Mae Puka Subdistrict Municipality, Chiang Mai | Phlapphla Chai Subdistrict Administrative Organization, Suphan Buri Province | Sakon Nakhon Municipality Office, Sakon Nakhon Province
Since 2018, the ICEML research team has worked closely with the governing bodies of the five local areas to promote media literacy among the elderly in senior schools. The cooperation between the networks resulted in the development of a training program on Wai Pet Media Literacy. This timely program is appropriate for all senior citizens, which produces the first batch of Wai Pet health communicators – a group of leaders for senior schools overseen by the above organizations. The networks coordinated in the launch of the Wai Pet Media Literacy program in order to increase the effectiveness of the well-equipped and experienced health communicators to strengthen the media literacy abilities of the elderly in their local region.