Models of Youth-Adult Collaboration for Public Media

The Joan Ganz Cooney Center is proud to share the first of our series of applied research briefs that focus on specific challenges and opportunities public media faces in its approaches to youth content and engagement. Drawing from priorities surfaced through focus group interviews with youth across the country, these briefs highlight recent research and public discussions about priorities for youth-centered design.

The Next Gen Public Media initiative has observed growing interest across the public media ecosystem in developing tween- and teen-focused initiatives to develop new content, modes of engagement, and community-based programs. However, the investment of time and resources to meaningfully partner with youth can be significant, and organizations without prior experience may find it difficult to know where to start. Fortunately, the public media community is not alone in facing these challenges, and there is much to be learned from recent research and tool kits in adjacent fields. Drawing on best practices for youth participation from a wide range of academic resources, nonprofit organizations, and youth-focused government initiatives, Models of Youth-Adult Collaboration for Public Media points to evidence-based models to structure youth-adult collaborations. 

Watch By/With/For Youth: Models of Youth-Adult Collaboration for Public Media, featuring Ben Kirshner, Professor of Learning Sciences and Human Development at the University of Colorado Boulder. Ben discusses his work with CU Engage, a center at the University of Colorado that works with community groups to address complex public challenges through academic courses, research projects, and creative work. He shares his experiences developing equity-oriented partnerships with youth organizations and his approach to youth-adult partnerships.