Joan Ganz Cooney Center

SDG Media Zone @UNGA80: Safeguarding Mental Health for Future Generations in the Digital Age
2025-09-26 12:00 - 12:20 (America/New_York)
This panel took take place at the SDG Media Zone at the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly and was streamed on UN WebTV.

AI and digital platforms are increasingly influencing how children and young people learn, connect, and experience the world. This panel explores how we can safeguard the mental health of young people while advancing technology that upholds children’s rights and well-being. The discussion will address opportunities and risks of AI in shaping online well-being, highlight strategies for protecting and promoting youth mental health, and consider how global commitments, such as the UN’s Declaration for Future Generations, can ensure safe, inclusive, and resilient digital spaces for generations to come.

Speakers:
Felipe Paullier, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs
Michael Preston, Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop
Joanna Lai, Health Specialist, UNICEF NYHQ
Moderator: Anya Kamanetz

Connected Learning Summit 2025
2025-10-05 - 2025-10-11
The Seventh Annual Connected Learning Summit will take place October 5–10, 2025 as a hybrid event. CLS will feature Research Papers and Showcases that focus on digital technologies for learning, educational and commercial games, innovative tech-infused curricula, and theoretical and/or empirical exploration of digital media and technology for learning. The event includes an online program of meetups, talks, and workshops, as well as in-person events organized by hosts and sponsors on campuses around the world.

If you’re in New York, please join us at an in-person event on October 6, 2025 from 12:00-6:00 pm

Host: New York University
Address: 370 Jay St., Brooklyn, NY

Sponsored by Google

Agenda

12:00–1:00 pm Lunch and Registration
1:00–1:45 pm Designing Educational Products: The View from the Industry
2:00–2:45 pm Designing Educational Products: The View from Startups
3:00–4:00 pm Poster Session
4:00–6:00 pm Viewing of Keynotes and Plenary

Register here

Register for Connected Learning Summit 2025 here and see other in-person events here

Edtech Week 2025: The Emerging Intersection of AI and K–12 Literacy
2025-10-20 09:00 - 09:45 (America/New_York)
The Emerging Intersection of AI and K–12 Literacy: Lessons Learned and the Path Ahead

How can AI meaningfully support literacy development in today’s classrooms—and what must we get right to ensure it does?

In this thought-provoking conversation, education and technology leaders will explore how AI is being used to enhance literacy instruction across diverse K–12 settings. From early applications to persistent challenges, panelists will share what they’ve learned so far—and where the field must go next to ensure equity, effectiveness, and educator empowerment.

This session brings together voices from education, technology, and policy to surface the key questions and promising pathways at the intersection of AI and literacy. Ideal for educators, edtech developers, researchers, and policymakers working to build stronger literacy outcomes with the help of emerging tools.

WHEN: October 20, 2025, 9:00 – 9:45 AM

Speakers:Lalitha Vasudevan, Teachers College, Columbia University
Rachel Hashimshoni, Google
Annie Chechitelli, Turnitin
Medha Tare, Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop

Register here for EdTech Week
New York City
October 20-22, 2025

Growing Readers in a World of Screens and AI
2025-10-27 14:30 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Washington, DC, Washington, DC, Select a Country:
Designing the Next Decade of Literacy Innovations while Reflecting on 10 Years of Rapid ChangeTen years ago, Tap, Click, Read: Growing Readers in a World of Screens brought together voices from the fields of early childhood, developmental science, literacy, media, and technology to offer guidance on helping children learn to read in a digital age. This was before ChatGPT, before the COVID-19 pandemic, and before students’ literacy scores declined even further. Since then, technology has evolved at breakneck speed. Nearly two dozen states have enacted laws centered on the science of reading. New methods of co-designing tools with educators and students have emerged, and there is new research on what is working—and what is not. Please join us on October 27 at New America in Washington, DC, or virtually, for an afternoon of discussions reflecting on the past decade and the challenges innovators and educators face in today’s shifting education landscape. We will issue a call to action for learner-centered tools and policies, stronger R&D, and investments to promote equity. There is an urgent need to shape policy, research, and tools so that all children—especially those struggling to read and in under-resourced communities—can learn to read and love reading. With thanks to the Walton Family Foundation for its support of the Sandbox for Literacy Innovations and to the Children’s Pritzker Initiative for supporting our 2015 book Tap, Click, Read: Growing Readers in a World of Screens. October 27, 20252:30pm–5:00pm EDTIn-Person and OnlineNew America| 740 15th St NW #900 Washington, DC 20005Register here Presented in partnership with New America and The Campaign for Grade Level Reading,

What does AI Owe Children? at Paris Peace Forum with iRaise Alliance
2025-10-30 13:15 - 14:00 (Europe/Paris)
What does AI owe children? is the guiding question for this Paris Peace Forum conversation and iRAISE Alliance stakeholders, which include policymakers, international organizations, researchers, and representatives of the industry. It will highlight the necessity of anchoring AI design and discussions in a broader commitment to children’s rights and their cognitive and socioemotional development. Grounded in expert consultations and ongoing work with companies, the session will focus on near-term design choices that are beneficial for children while mitigating foreseeable risks. The discussion should lead to practical actions that advance beneficial AI for children.

Joan Ganz Cooney Center Executive Director Michael Preston joins Cecile Aptel (UNICEF) and Lauren Jonas (OpenAI) in this panel, moderated by Mathilde Cerioli (everyone.ai).

October 30, 2025
1:15pm -2:00pm CET
Stage B – Musée de l’Homme

Learn more: https://parispeaceforum.org/

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

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

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 604/605Learn more here
