Joan Ganz Cooney Center Foreducational Media And Research Inc

OUR MISSION IS TO CATALYZE & SUPPORT RESEARCH IN DIGITAL MEDIA TO ADVANCE CHILDREN'S LEARNING.

IN FY21 WE BEGAN REFOCUSING THE COONEY CENTER ON DESIGNING WITH AND FOR KIDS TO PRIORITIZE CHILDREN'S BEST INTERESTS IN THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE TECHNOLOGY AND MEDIA PRODUCTS THEY USE, TO MOBILIZE RESEARCH AND RESEARCH-BASED APPROACHES TO DESIGN, AND TO INCLUDE CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE AS CO-DESIGNERS IN THE INNOVATION PROCESS. THIS FOCUS ADDRESSES A GAP WE IDENTIFIED IN OUR MARKET RESEARCH AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT OUR SERVICE AND COMMUNITY-BUILDING WORK ACROSS INITIATIVES: PUBLIC MEDIA INNOVATION, CHILD-CENTERED DESIGN FOR INNOVATORS, AND DIGITAL WELL BEING. (SEE SCHEDULE O)PUBLIC MEDIA INNOVATION WE COMPLETED PHASE 1 OF OUR MAJOR INITIATIVE "BY/WITH/FOR YOUTH: INSPIRING NEXT GEN PUBLIC MEDIA AUDIENCES," IN A RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING TO SUPPORT THE PUBLIC MEDIA SECTOR AS IT EVOLVES TO ENGAGE TWEEN AND TEEN AUDIENCES. THE GOAL OF PHASE 1 WAS TO ESTABLISH A KNOWLEDGE BASE ABOUT YOUTH MEDIA PRACTICES AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC MEDIA TO BETTER ENGAGE YOUNG PEOPLE AND MEET THEIR NEEDS AND INTERESTS IN WAYS THAT ARE DIFFERENTIATED FROM COMMERCIAL MEDIA. WE HIRED A TEAM OF THREE NEW SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOWS WHO BROUGHT EXPERTISE IN YOUTH MEDIA, NEW TECHNOLOGY PLATFORMS, AND COLLABORATIVE LEARNING NETWORKS. DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, WE SHIFTED ALL PROGRAMMATIC ACTIVITIES ONLINE, WHICH IMPROVED THE PROJECT'S REACH BY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF PUBLIC MEDIA PARTICIPANTS IN OUR COMMUNITY BUILDING AND COLLABORATIVE DESIGN EFFORTS, AND THE NUMBER OF YOUTH PARTICIPANTS IN OUR RESEARCH STUDY. OUR RESEARCH TEAM CONDUCTED FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEWS WITH 50 DIVERSE YOUNG PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO FIND OUT WHAT KINDS OF MEDIA ARE YOUNG PEOPLE ENGAGING WITH, WHAT THEY THOUGHT ABOUT "PUBLIC MEDIA, AND THEIR IDEAS FOR WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE. IN MAY 2021, WE PUBLISHED THE REPORT THE MISSING MIDDLE: REIMAGINING A FUTURE FOR TWEENS, TEENS, AND PUBLIC MEDIA.CHILD-CENTERED DESIGN FOR INNOVATORSIN FY21, WE BUILT AND TESTED A VARIETY OF INDUSTRY-FACING INITIATIVES INCLUDING AN APPLIED R&D SERVICE AND RESOURCES TO IMPROVE HOW PRODUCTS GET MADE FOR KIDS. WE COMPLETED A PILOT WITH A NYC-BASED EDTECH STARTUP OKO LABS WITH THE HELP OF TWO CONSULTANTS WHO SUPPORTED OUR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT WORK. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PILOT WAS TO UNDERSTAND THE CAPACITY, RESOURCE, AND IP NEEDS TO COMPLETE CONSULTING WORK ON EARLY-STAGE TECH IDEAS. WE CONDUCTED A SERIES OF CO-DESIGN SESSIONS WITH KIDSTEAM (A RESEARCH LAB BASED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON), WORKSHOPS WITH EXPERTS, A REVIEW OF SCHOLARSHIP ON THE SPACE, AND WE CREATED A CUSTOMIZED PROTOCOL WITH DESIGN PRINCIPLES FOR THE OKO LABS PRODUCT. WE ALSO ENGAGED WITH A VARIETY OF STAKEHOLDERS TO TEST ASSUMPTIONS AND GET FEEDBACK ON PARTNERSHIP MODELS. THROUGH INTERVIEWS, PITCHES, AND BRIEFS WE EXPLORED WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO COLLABORATE WITH DELIVERY PARTNERS, LABS AND DESIGN STUDIOS, FUNDERS, COALITIONS, AND INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS. THEIR FEEDBACK HELPED SHAPE OUR DESIGN FOR A NEW KIND OF KID-CENTERED LAB WITH THE MISSION OF ADVANCING THE COLLECTIVE GOOD THAT COULD STAND ALONGSIDE MORE BUSINESS-ORIENTED INCUBATORS AND ACCELERATORS.ADDITIONALLY, WE BEGAN TO DEVELOP NEW RESOURCES TO SUPPORT CREATORS, INCLUDING A FREE WEB-BASED TOOL CALLED "PLAYTEST WITH KIDS" TO HELP PRODUCT DEVELOPERS ENGAGE CHILDREN MORE EFFECTIVELY IN THEIR DESIGN PROCESS. OUR TEAM ALSO SUPPORTED THE PROMISING VENTURES FELLOWSHIP TO ADVISE NEW SOCIAL VENTURES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT.DIGITAL WELLBEING WE EXPLORED ADVOCACY APPROACHES TO "DESIGNING FOR DIGITAL WELLBEING" WITH EXTERNAL PARTNERS TO CREATE A PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN AND A DESIGN CHALLENGE FOR INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS, WITH LAUNCH DATES IN FY22. WE BEGAN DEVELOPMENT ON A NEW DIGITAL WELLBEING ADVOCACY PROJECT WITH THE LEGO GROUP AND UNICEF WITH THE FOLLOWING GOALS: (1) CREATE A KNOWLEDGE BASE VIA RESEARCH AND PARTICIPATORY DESIGN METHODS THAT ARTICULATES A DEFINITION OF CHILDREN'S WELLBEING AND PATHWAYS TO ACHIEVE IT; (2) MOTIVATE AND LEAD A COALITION OF LIKE-MINDED STAKEHOLDERS WILLING TO COMMIT RESOURCES AND FUNDING TO NEW IDEAS ABOUT DIGITAL WELLBEING; AND (3) SIGNAL TO POTENTIAL PARTNERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO COLLABORATE ON NEW SOLUTIONS THAT INCREASE CHILDREN'S WELLBEING.SUPPORTING RESEARCH DURING THE PANDEMICOUTSIDE OF OUR MAIN PRIORITY AREAS, WE ELEVATED THE EXPERIENCE OF RESEARCHERS WORKING WITH CHILDREN, FAMILIES, AND EDUCATORS DURING THE PANDEMIC.IN JULY 2020, WE HOSTED A WORKSHOP TO DISCUSS THE CHALLENGES THAT RESEARCHERS WERE ENCOUNTERING AS THEY BEGAN TO STUDY FAMILIES, YOUTH, AND LEARNING THROUGH THE PANDEMIC, THE INNOVATIVE WAYS THEY WERE RESPONDING TO THOSE CHALLENGES, AND HOW TO ACHIEVE MORE EQUITABLE EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES DURING AND BEYOND THE PANDEMIC. IN MARCH 2021, WE PUBLISHED "LEARNING TOGETHER: ADAPTING METHODS FOR FAMILY AND COMMUNITY RESEARCH DURING A PANDEMIC" TO PROVIDE EXAMPLES OF HOW RESEARCHERS ARE REPURPOSING AND REINVENTING QUALITATIVE METHODS FOR REMOTE CONTEXTS; HIGHLIGHT HOW FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES ARE INNOVATING AND ADJUSTING IN UNEXPECTED WAYS; CONVEY ON-THE-GROUND PERSPECTIVES FROM CAREGIVERS AND LEARNERS ABOUT THE CHALLENGES OF REMOTE LEARNING AND INSPIRE SOLUTIONS TO SOLVE THEM; AND MOBILIZE COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH AND DESIGN.IN APRIL 2021, WE HOSTED A "REFRAMING EDUCATION FOR THE 22ND CENTURY" SALON SERIES WITH THE CENTER FOR GLOBAL EDUCATION AT ASIA SOCIETY TO BUILD COMMUNITY AND GATHER FRESH IDEAS ABOUT THE PURPOSE OF EDUCATION AS THE FOUNDATION FOR A SOCIAL MOVEMENT TOWARD EQUALITY AND SUSTAINABILITY.