Specialties
KIDS FIRST! / Coalition for Quality Children's Media is a national nonprofit, founded in 1991, whose mission is to teach children critical viewing skills and to increase the visibility and availability of quality children's media. Its KIDS FIRST! Film Critics offers kids the opportunity to participate as youth reporters who review the latest film releases, interview talent and share their views on entertainment geared for kids. Their reviews are seen by more than 7 million every month on the KIDS FIRST! website, social media, radio show and YouTube Channel as well as on blogs with Huffington Post, Workiingmother.com, Kidzworld.com, Kidsville News and 50+ additional publications. For more info, go to kidsfirst.org.
History
Established in 1991.
The Coalition for Quality Children's Media is a national, nonprofit (501-c-3) organization founded in 1991 whose mission is to teach children critical viewing skills and to increase the visibility and availability of quality children's media.
The Coalition's KIDS FIRST! program evaluates, rates and endorses films, DVDs, audio recordings, TV shows, apps, screenplays and games using volunteer, community-based juries of adults and children from diverse backgrounds and offers a variety of means to showcase and enhance consumer awareness of endorsed products.
The KIDS FIRST! Film Critics are a group of national youth reporters who review most new film releases, interview talent and share their views on entertainment geared for kids. A group of 18 kids, ages 7 to 16, their reviews are seen, read or listened to by more than 4 million people every month.
KIDS FIRST! is supported by teachers, librarians, media professionals, lobbyists, policymakers, child advocates, educators, parents and f
Meet the Manager: Ranny L.
The invasive impact of media on children became the impetus, in 1991, for Levy to create KIDS FIRST! / Coalition for Quality Children's Media, dedicated to promoting and nurturing quality children's media as a vehicle for social change. A former educator, Levy designed an award-winning television series, Kidnetics, for PBS Affiliate, WNIT-TV, produced an ACE-nominated television show (Cable Magazine), and managed an independent film production and distribution company, OneWest Media, selling to national and international markets including PBS, the Discovery Channel and Showtime.
For KIDS FIRST, Levy developed the following programs:
KIDS FIRST! Coming Attractions - a weekly radio show hosted by youth reporters
KIDS FIRST! Film Critics - a national program for kids ages 7 to 16
KIDS FIRST! Film Festival - partnering with 50+ venues to provide kids & family programming
KIDS FIRST! Endorsements - evaluation and reviews of media products
Videotherapy, a violence prevention program