Briana Ellerbe: Reflections on 15 Years of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center

Congratulations to the Joan Ganz Cooney Center on 15 years! This milestone is no small accomplishment and is a reflection of the Cooney Center’s heart and dedication to youth and their families.

In a recent interview for a position, the interviewer asked me what my ideal work environment looked like. I told her that the first thing that came to mind was my time at the Cooney Center. In my experience, there was just so much to love and be grateful for.

Something that I appreciated most about my time at the Cooney Center was the thoughtful mentorship of Drs. Lori Takeuchi and Michael Levine, as well as getting to work with numerous wonderful colleagues whom I still cherish today. As a former gymnast, I place a high value on being part of a team, working together towards a common goal, and encouraging and sharpening each other along the way. I can wholeheartedly say that the Cooney Center was one of the best teams that I have ever been a part of. Colleagues at the Cooney Center were excited about the work that we were doing, and genuinely interested and invested in connecting families, media creators, and educators for children’s benefit. I looked forward to working with, learning from, and laughing (we did a lot of laughing) with each of these colleagues every day. 

Working on the Families and Media Project felt like a wonderful adventure all across New York City with Lori Takeuchi, Anna Ly, Jason Yip, Rocio Almanza Guillen, Alan Nong, and Kristen Khom. We learned so much from the families that we got the opportunity to observe and talk to, while also making fun memories with each other. I looked forward to hopping on buses across town while lugging our notebooks and research equipment, hanging out with families in their homes for hours, and then talking about what we found in our team meetings. Of course, as a gang of research-loving foodies, we also made time to discover new snacks along the way.

As I reflect, I am also thankful for the ways in which the Cooney Center took risks on me and allowed me to grow so early on in my career. From Lori Takeuchi encouraging me to take the lead on aspects of our Families and Media research project, to Catherine Jhee giving me opportunities to write blog posts and reports, and getting to work with Lili Toutounas on organizing convenings and maintaining communication amongst various research partners and colleagues, the Cooney Center helped me to gain confidence and expanded my experience and knowledge in both research and collaboration. Furthermore, colleagues such as Jason Yip, Elisabeth McClure, Vikki Katz, and Carmen Gonzalez had countless conversations with me about pursuing a PhD. Thanks to their encouragement, I earned my PhD this past August at the USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism.

Finally, I am in awe of the way in which time working at the Cooney Center—whether long or short— can foster such a great deal of community. It is a great honor to still be in touch with so many colleagues and to even get to work on some projects with alum like Allison Mishkin and Amber Levinson. While I could write endless pages about my appreciation for the Cooney Center, I will simply conclude by thanking the center and all who have been a part of it. Thank you for the impact you’ve made, both personally and professionally in my own life, as well as the impact you have made in the industry, in families, and in communities. Keep up the great work!

 

Briana is an independent researcher and consultant who is passionate about the thoughtful creation of content for children and their families. Currently, Briana is a mom to three kids under five years old, which provides her with many opportunities to learn with and about kids in a totally new way. After completing her Ph.D. in communication at USC in the Fall of 2022, she worked as a researcher and consultant on projects for Google and Toca Boca, and as a Production Assistant at Tinkercast. Previously, she worked as a Research Manager at the Joan Ganz Cooney Center and as a Research Assistant for 9 Story USA.