The Youth Media Action Knowledge and Engagement Program, or Youmakken (which means “empowering” in Arabic), is a 21-month youth empowerment program funded by the U.S. Embassy in Jordan.

The program uses IREX’s Learn to Discern methodology to cultivate a media literate, tech-savvy generation of Syrian and Jordanian youth poised to think critically, reflect on community values, and be agents of change through media initiatives in host communities.

Youmakken is implemented in partnership with the Jordan Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD) in four regions of Jordan.

• Equip youth with critical thinking and information literacy skills, using the Learn to Discern approach, to build resilience to misinformation, disinformation, and propaganda.
• Engage community leaders and youth as positive changemakers in their communities.
• Empower youth as positive changemakers in the digital and social media space and as creators of vibrant, positive content.

• A five-day training of trainers: The program trained 24 facilitators on active citizenship, media literacy, critical thinking, and media production. Training included facilitation techniques and monitoring and evaluation best practices.
• Local trainings: Facilitators trained 280 Jordanian and Syrian youth (ages 16–24) on active citizenship, media literacy, critical thinking, and media production in four regions of Jordan.
• Ideation souks: Small groups of participants designed multiplatform media initiatives that fostered a sense of belonging, purpose, agency, community, cohesion, respect, tolerance, gender equality, and inclusion. They pitched their ideas to more than 800 community members from 80 institutions.
• Establish a community leader committee and capacity building: Sixty community leaders and institutions mentored the production groups as they received training and implemented their media initiatives.
• Youth media projects: Youth produced 24 media products, including radio shows, short films (on topics that ranged from online bullying to historical locations in Jordan), animated videos, and infographics.
• Capacity strengthening for facilitators: Facilitators received virtual training in advanced media best practices and social media marketing to enhance professionalism and promote the program's initiatives. 

E-mail: info.youmakken@irex.org