Joan Ganz Cooney Center

Research Reaction Panel at FOSI 2026
2025-11-10 12:00 - 2025-11-11 11:59 (America/New_York)
How are teens using genAI in 2025? Find out at the FOSI 2025 Annual Conference!

Amanda Lenhart, Senior Fellow at the Joan Ganz Cooney Center, will moderate a Research Reaction Panel that will examine and contextualize how teens are using, thinking and feeling about generative AI. This session will feature a critical discussion with experts including Alanna Powers-O’Brien, Anne-Sophie SERET, and Sunny Xun Liu. Join us live to tackle the toughest challenges in online safety and learn how we can build a safer digital world for families together.

See full agenda: https://lnkd.in/eP35TAjD

CGLR Webinar: More Than an Accessibility Feature: Same Language Subtitling (SLS), Learning, and Literacy
2026-03-03 15:00 - 16:30 (America/New_York)
What can same-language subtitling (SLS) realistically contribute to children’s literacy — and where are its limits? In this exploratory session, leaders from research, media, technology, and policy will examine what the strongest evidence supports, where SLS functions best as a scaffolding strategy, and what responsible implementation in U.S. children’s media could look like. This webinar hosted by the Campaign for Grade Level Reading will build on a 2022 session which highlighted early efforts to promote SLS in India and the measurable gains in child and adult literacy those efforts were delivering. Joan Ganz Cooney Center Senior Fellow Diane Gifford joins an all-star panel featuring Jess deMonsabert (Scholastic), Brij Kothari (Billin Readers), Tony Lee (Google), Susan Neuman (NYU), Jessica Rosenworce (MIT Media Lab), Wendy Sap (Bridge Multimedia), and Rubin Soodak (Fred Rogers Productions – and former Cooney Center Well-Being by Design Fellow!). David Lowenstein, Co-Founder and CEO of Lionstone Consulting Group, will moderate the discussion.

March 3, 2026
3:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Learn more and register here

SXSW EDU 2026 Workshop: Level Up! Role-Playing Games for Wellbeing in the Classroom
2026-03-09 14:00 - 15:30 (America/Chicago) | Austin, TX, Austin, Texas
Discover how tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) can support social-emotional learning and mental health through an interactive, hands-on workshop. Grounded in the Responsible Innovation in Technology for Children (RITEC) well-being framework, participants will explore case studies, play through a TTRPG scenario, and leave with free, classroom-ready resources to bring the power of play into their schools.

Presenters: Jen Chiou (CodeSpeak Labs / Quest Craft), Sarah Jacobstein (Joan Ganz Cooney Center), Elizabeth Kilmer (Clinical Psychologist)

Date: Monday, March 9, 2026
Time: 2-3:30 CT
Location: Courtyard Marriott-Brazos I-II-III

Learn more here

This session is part of the Startup Bootcamp. Attendees can reserve a spot in the workshop, and eligible teachers may receive CPE credit.

SXSW EDU 2026 Workshop: Co-Designing EdTech with Kids
2026-03-11 14:00 - 15:30 (America/Chicago)
This interactive workshop introduces the Co-Design with Kids Toolkit—a research-informed resource that empowers edtech developers and educators to involve children and families in the design process. Learn about practical tools and methods to move beyond user testing into real co-creation with your target audience. Whether you’re building the next big learning app or innovating in the classroom or in afterschool settings, you’ll gain actionable strategies and hands-on experience to create more inclusive, engaging, and effective learning technologies – with kids, not just for them.

Presenters: Mona Leigh Guha and Allisyn Levy (Joan Ganz Cooney Center), Azadeh Jamalian (The GIANT Room)
Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Time: 3/11/26, 2-3:30 CTLocation: Austin Marriott Downtown-Room 604/605This session is part of the Startup Bootcamp. Attendees can reserve a spot in the workshop, and eligible teachers may receive CPE credit.Learn more here

Bridging Reading Science and EdTech: A Framework for Evaluating Early Literacy Tools
2026-04-11 09:45 - 11:15 (America/Los_Angeles)
Join Angelica DaSilva, Cooney Center Fellow for and Diane Baty Gifford, Senior Fellow, at a poster presentation at AERA.

This study presents a cross-case synthesis of six EdTech literacy consultation reports conducted by two literacy experts as part of an EdTech for Literacy research grant. Through qualitative coding of consultation reports, we analyzed how each product aligned with Reading Rope, included broader implementation supports, and promoted overall efficacy of the product to support learning to read. Findings revealed consistent gaps in language comprehension, word recognition, and implementation features. To support educators, we introduce the Early Reading Literacy EdTech Evaluation Tool, a 12-item rubric to evaluate alignment with research-based principles, emphasizing the need to bridge the research-to-practice gap. Findings offer implications for researchers, EdTech designers, educators, and policymakers seeking to promote equitable literacy outcomes.

Sat, April 11, 9:45 to 11:15am PDT
Los Angeles Convention Center
Floor: Level Two, Poster Hall – Exhibit Hall A

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ASU+GSV 2026: Build It Right the First Time: Literacy EdTech Backed by Science
2026-04-13 16:10 - 16:30 (America/New_York)
Too often, EdTech products are judged after they reach classrooms—when design decisions are already locked in and impact is harder to course-correct. But what if evidence, child voice, and rigorous learning science shaped products from day one?

The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop is partnering with early-stage founders to do exactly that—embedding research and real learner feedback into literacy technologies before they scale. From foundational phonics tools to AI-powered writing agents, these collaborations are proving that intentional design isn’t a luxury—it’s a competitive advantage.

In this fireside conversation, Senior Director of Research Dr. Medha Tare joins partners from the Center’s Sandbox for Literacy Innovations to share how early research engagement has reshaped product strategy, features, and outcomes.

Sebastian Belmar, Co-Founder & Head of Engineering at LitLab.ai, will discuss how literacy expertise informed everything from error analysis to learner scaffolds and playful interactivity. Dan Lee, Head of Product at Lirvana Labs, will share how their AI writing agent was co-designed with kids—leveraging supportive personas to strengthen reflection, revision, and confidence.

This session offers a blueprint for founders, product leaders, and investors: align with the science of literacy, design for the whole child, and treat young learners not as end users—but as expert partners. Because the products that truly scale are the ones built to work.

Monday, April 13, 2026
4:10 pm-4:30 pm PT
Coronado D, Level 4

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ASU+GSV 2026: What Comes Next? AI, Relationships, and the Future of Learning
2026-04-14 10:00 - 10:50 (America/New_York)
Michael Preston will participate in a panel moderated by Nick Yoder from Harmony Academy at National University with Brandon Cardet-Hernandez (Medley Learning), David Adams (Urban Assembly), and Nimesh Shah (CreatorUp). Together, they will discuss how research, emerging technology, and human connection are shaping the future of learning in K-12 settings—and how AI can be thoughtfully leveraged to support equity, personalization, and meaningful relationships in the future of teaching young learners.

Tuesday, April 14
10:00 am-10:50 am PT
Old Town A, Level 2

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Transforming Global Education Summit
2026-05-01 10:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York) | New York, NY, New York, NY, United States
On Friday, May 1, Michael Preston will participate in “Scaling the Model: From Youth to National Development” as part of the Transforming Global Education Summit. This session connects architecture, capital, and technology transfer into a credible pathway. It moves from concept to coordinated implementation roadmap. The Summit is hosted by PVBLIC Foundation and will be livestreamed from 10am-6pm.

Moderator: Dr. Alison Bryant, COO of Learning Economy Foundation

Speakers include:

Ruhana da Silva, Director, Digital Transformation, Information Technology, World Scouting
Dr. Michael Preston, Executive Director, Joan Ganz Cooney Center, Sesame Workshop
Janet Simon, Teacher, CARICOM Youth Ambassador, Volunteer, Antigua and Barbuda

Watch the livestream here

Building Better Learning Tools: A Look Inside the Sandbox for Literacy Innovations
2026-06-10 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual
Join us for a look inside the second year of the Sandbox for Literacy Innovations, where early ideas are evolving into real-world tools and practices. This webinar will highlight key insights from our latest literacy report, showcase how the consultancy has shaped partner projects and processes, and explore how you can use co-design with kids to ensure that your technology product has strong impact.We’ll share what we have learned over the past year and a half—from practical takeaways to big questions shaping the future of literacy innovation.

Speakers:Medha Tare, Joan Ganz Cooney Center
Angelica DaSilva, Joan Ganz Cooney Center
Diane Gifford, Joan Ganz Cooney Center
Mona Leigh Guha, Joan Ganz Cooney Center
Azi Jamalian, The GIANT Room
Allisyn Levy, Joan Ganz Cooney Center
Ben Miller, LeapFrog
Taylor Davis, iCivics
Sarah Roberston, Khan AcademyZoom registration link:
https://bit.ly/sli-progress-report

Beyond WOW! Designing Quality VR Experiences for Kids at AWE 2026
2026-06-18 11:30 - 11:55 (America/New_York)
What is the key to finding success with younger users? Designing responsibly for children requires more than simplifying content. It demands thoughtful alignment with young people’s developmental capacities, emotional needs, and family expectations.

VR platforms are increasingly full of young people, even though the experiences were not created with young people’s unique developmental needs in mind. Many developers lack opportunities to hear directly from young users and their families and may not have reliable information about what kids need to thrive in digital spaces.

In this lightning talk, Joan Ganz Cooney Center Senior Fellow Dr. Elizabeth Rood will share practical takeaways from a recently published set of guides for developers, platform teams, and funders interested in engaging younger audiences in virtual reality experiences. Based on research with pre-teens and their parents, the guides offer actionable insights for creating VR experiences that center emotions, relationships, and autonomy as three north stars of design for young people.

The talk will include strategies for developing content that meets kids’ desires while also earning parents’ mark of approval as beneficial for development. Walk away inspired with actionable design guidance for creating quality immersive experiences and content for kids, ten and older.

June 18, 2026
11:30 AM – 11:55 AM PDT
Gaming Stage | Expo Hall

Learn more and register here

Interaction Design and Children Conference 2026
2026-06-22 12:00 - 2026-06-27 11:59 (America/New_York) | Brighton, UK
The Joan Ganz Cooney Center, along with our partners at The GIANT Room, foundry10, and the University of Washington, are pleased to be presenting four different sessions at the 2026 Interaction Design and Children conference, which takes place on June 22– 25, 2026 in Brighton, United Kingdom

Workshop: Frameworks in the Field: Considering Real Life Tensions When Designing AI for Children’s Well-beingDate/Time: June 22, 2:30-5 pm BST
How to participate: In-person in Brighton, UK, or virtual (participants have already been selected via proposal)
Presenters: Medha Tare (Cooney Center), Riddhi Divanji, Jennifer Rubin & Jayne Everson (foundry10), Rotem Landesman, Aayushi Dangol & Nisha Devasia (University of Washington)

Demo: Bringing Inclusive Design Practices Beyond Academia: Launching the Co-design with Kids ToolkitDate/Time: June 23, 12-1 pm BST
How to participate: In-person in Brighton, UK, open to all IDC participants
Presenters: Mona Leigh Guha, Medha Tare, Ashley Moulton, Sarah Sung, Catherine Jhee, Liza Gak, (Cooney Center), Azadeh Jamalian (The GIANT Room)

Demo: GIANT Remix Station: Supporting Children’s Creative Ideation and Publication with Human-in-the-Loop AIDate/Time: June 23, 12-1 pm BST
How to participate: In-person in Brighton, UK, open to all IDC participants
Presenters: Azadeh Jamalian, Hongjin Du, Rebecca Schifilliti, Maria Eugenia Segovia Siller, Jessica Mezei (The GIANT Room), Medha Tare (Cooney Center)

Work in Progress Paper/Poster: “Surveys are pointless”: Co-designing a new generation of surveys with children that fulfill their needsDate/Time: June 24 12-1 BST
How to participate: In-person in Brighton, UK, open to all IDC participants
Presenters: Liza Gak, Medha Tare, Angelica DaSilva (Cooney Center), Azadeh Jamalian (The GIANT Room)

Interaction Design and Children Conference
June 22– 25 2026
Brighton, United Kingdom Register: https://idc.acm.org/2026/
