Institute joins European initiative to strengthen media literacy education

In April 2026, the project named Teacher Academy for Media Literacy in Europe (TAMeLi) was officially launched. The initiative brings together European universities and partner organisations to equip both current and future teachers with the knowledge, skills, and practical tools they need to help children and young people navigate the age of digital media and artificial intelligence critically and responsibly.

The pilot meeting of the project was held in May. Representatives from 14 institutions across nine countries have come together to connect, exchange ideas, and align their vision for the next phase of the project. Through collaboration across higher education, schools, teacher training, journalism, and digital learning, TAMeLi aims to explore innovative approaches and create meaningful impact in education and media literacy.

The Institute of Social Studies of the University of Tartu is one of the project's partners. Our media literacy project manager Inger Klesment, BECID-2 project manager Gretel Juhansoo, associate professor of media studies Maria Murumaa-Mengel and junior research fellow in media competence Maia Klaassen are contributing to the initiative with both academic and practical expertise in teaching digital media skills to young people. The topic is a major area of research and teaching at the Institute, where we host the Baltic Engagement Centre for Combating Information Disorders (BECID), offer the Master's programme Disinformation and Societal Resilience, and contribute expert knowledge to public debate on the topic.

“The project name may be long, but the mission behind it is clear: empowering teachers across Europe to confidently teach digital and media literacies in a rapidly changing world. That is precisely what TAMeLi is all about,” says media literacy specialist Gretel Juhansoo. Preparations for the next phase are currently underway, including collecting and reviewing existing models and research. This groundwork will enable participants to begin developing and testing the model with the target group in the near future.

With the project now underway and the website published, the partners are looking forward to developing new ideas, fostering international collaboration, and sharing future outcomes, publications, and resources with the wider community. The project consortium includes KU Leuven, Prizma, d-teach online school, Dublin City University, Cenjor - Centro Protocolar de Formação Profissional para Jornalistas, Pädagogische Hochschule Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg School of Education, University of Cologne, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Institute of Communication Studies, University of the Aegean, University of Tartu, and Tartu Catholic Education Center.

Visit the TAMeLi webpage