PBS and KQED offer a set of free media literacy micro-credentials that validate media literacy skills and classroom implementation practices. These competency-based micro-credentials provide the pathway to earning certification as a PBS Certified Media Literacy Educator. Read on to learn more, or get started here.
We are well past the time when literacy means the ability to read and write on paper or a screen. According to NAMLE, to be literate today means to have the skills to “access, analyze, evaluate, create, and act using all forms of communication.”
To reach this goal, teachers themselves must be able to read, write and share media, as well as effectively support their students in achieving these skills.

A certification for educators in all grades, all subjects.
“Media literacy is not taught in one lesson or even one unit. It is a series of small steps that takes the students on a journey of empowerment to become active citizens in the digital world.”
--Mariana Garcia Serrano, Science and Engineering teacher,
PBS Certified Media Literacy Educator
We created the free PBS Media Literacy Educator Certification by KQED to address this need by
- recognizing and promoting the educators who possess and apply these skills already.
- providing a clear pathway, through coursework and other instructional resources, to educators who need or desire support.
If you are an educator who believes that media literacy is a critical skill set for you and you students, this certification will demonstrate your expertise in teaching students to produce media that matters and think critically about their role as media consumers.