We are a group of undergraduates at the University of California, Riverside who have joined to create a media literacy workshop on body positivity within the social media era. Our content is developed under the guidance of Professor Sage Shigamatsu. Her work in the Media & Cultural Studies Department is the foundation of our work and content we use to create our media literacy and culturally focused curriculum. Elevating H.E.A.R.T.S. (Healing, Empathy, Acceptance, Revolution, Transformation, and Success), educates middle and high school students on the importance of positive body image in the media.
We encourage body positivity through our Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful/Brave (BYOKB) workshop. This is a highly interactive workshop that teaches media analysis to dismantle the unhealthy standards of beauty that are projected in media. In our collaboration with the African Students Program director, Dr. Jamal Myrick and Victor Moreira we have created a workshop for both young boys and girls to facilitate workshops that guide students through self-reflection to emphasize the importance of having positive self-dialogue.
