Media literacy is an essential life skill for the 21st century. As communication technologies transform society, they affect our understanding of ourselves, our communities, and our diverse culture. By applying literacy skills to media and technology messages, by learning to skillfully interpret, analyze, and create messages, media literacy empowers people to be both critical thinkers and creative producers of messages using image, language, and sound. The AMLA was formed to unite the media literacy field and lead the drive to include the teaching of media literacy in a wide range of educational settings.