The idea for the medienreif-wi.de (opens in a new tab) platform emerged from the media education work carried out by the Media Center. During workshops and other projects, it has become clear time and again that participants want to stay in touch with one another beyond their shared experiences. “medienreif” is designed to strengthen these connections digitally. The project website is aimed at participants aged 12 and older who have already taken part in Media Center programs, such as the “studioreif” workshops or the “filmreif” short film project.

“It’s fascinating to see how much comes out of young people working together on media projects: they discover new interests, develop ideas, and learn from one another,” says Dr. Patricia Becher, Commissioner for Schools and Culture and Chair of the Board of the Wiesbaden Media Center. “medienreif now provides these projects and ideas with a digital space as well, allowing participants to look beyond the scope of individual workshops and find further inspiration and opportunities to develop their own formats.”

After registration, the Media Center creates a personalized profile with an avatar based on the users’ preferences, displaying information about the participants. This includes, for example, behind-the-scenes footage from the “filmreif” short films. This gives the profile visibility without the need for a separate website. In addition, users can connect with one another via the platform, exchange ideas, support one another, and launch joint projects.

The Media Center moderates these interactions to ensure the network operates within a safe environment. The Media Center is also responsible for the content posted on the platform. The website and the data stored there are hosted on the Media Center’s servers. The site’s layout and menu navigation are deliberately kept simple, in the style of an app, and are intuitive to use.

In addition, “medienreif” integrates the Media Center’s social media channels and showcases current in-person media education programs. In this way, the project site also connects back to practical applications and further encourages users to take action, try new things, and create their own formats.