Since 2003 Channel 4 Education has commissioned education TV programming and new media content exclusively for 14 – 19 year olds.

We took this step not only because this age group sees Channel 4 as its ‘channel of choice’ nor just because we pride ourselves on the distinctive originality of our output and on our adroit response to new trends. We also wanted to make positive contributions to the Government’s focus on this cohort in its reforms of secondary education.

Alongside these strategic changes, it has been impossible to ignore how technologies are transforming young people’s access to and consumption generation and exchange of media content.

The rapid mass adoption of social networking websites, blogging, user generated video content and interactive gaming (as the success of My Space, You Tube and Last FM demonstrate), shows young people’s extraordinary potential to forge new communities through their use and creation of media.

Far from being left behind, many in education have been quick to grasp the opportunities for learning which these networking technologies can offer. New kinds of content, new ways of accessing information and sharing discoveries, new ways of creating understanding: the uses young people are making of these new technologies have formidable, exciting consequences for education.

Are we, as a broadcaster and new media company, up to the challenges these changes present? As teachers, are you ?

At Channel 4 Education we want to work more closely with teachers, young people and our TV and software production partners. We want to commission new content that young people will want to learn from and use.

At Channel 4 Education we need to maintain our innovative drive and high production values, but we also need to ensure we’re contributing to valuable educational developments.

This round table conversation with teachers, young people, TV production and web companies and policy makers will explore our potential in collaborating to meet the challenges we share – as media companies and as teachers and learners.

To make more of our face to face meetings (or, if meetings are not your thing), we shall also be launching a website where we can connect, converse, exchange and collaborate.

For more information call Steve Moore on 0870 366 5280 or Sarah Asante on 0207 306 8282