Tag Archives: research

This blog post was originally published by foundry10 and appears here with permission.  On a late June morning at Reykjavík University in Iceland, researchers, educators, clinicians, and designers from all over the world convened for the the 24th annual ACM Interaction Design and Children (IDC) Conference to share the latest research findings, innovative methodologies, and new technologies in the areas of inclusive child-centered design, learning and interaction. foundry10 Senior Researcher Jennifer Rubin and Technology, Media, and Information Literacy Team Lead Riddhi Divanji were excited to…

While podcasts have been a popular source of entertainment and information for adults for well over a decade, children’s podcasts have been gaining momentum just over the past few years. In 2024, 46% of children ages 6–12 had listened to a podcast, according to a market research study.[1] Despite the increasing popularity of podcasts among young audiences, little research has explored how children and families engage with children’s podcasts or the potential benefits of listening. Research has shown that children…

What did our 2025 Well-Being by Design Fellows learn about designing tech with kids’ well-being in mind? A lot, it turns out! During the intensive five-month program, the 12 mid-career designers were exposed to the perspectives of research and industry guest speakers, the sometimes very honest opinions of the teens on our youth design team, advice from 2024 WBxD Fellows, and most of all, the deep expertise of their fellow fellows. The Cooney Center was thrilled to celebrate the conclusion…

Dive into the practice of co-design as a powerful method for developing impactful EdTech rooted in real classroom needs. Through hands-on activities and practical frameworks, participants will learn how to collaborate effectively with educators, students, and schools to build inclusive, research-informed products that drive meaningful learning outcomes. Allisyn Levy, Senior Manager of Partnerships & Planning, Joan Ganz Cooney Center Jenny Bradbury, Senior Director of R&D for EdTech and Emerging Technologies, Digital Promise Dr. Brandon Olszewski, Senior Director of Research, ISTE+ASCD…

Supporting Families in a Screen-Saturated World: A New Guide for Movement and Play As digital media becomes more integrated into family life, parents and caregivers are increasingly looking for ways to strike a healthy balance—especially when it comes to screen time and physical activity. A new resource from the California Partners Project, developed in collaboration with First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, offers timely, research-informed guidance to help. The Tech/Life Balance: Movement & Outdoor Activity Family Guide is a bilingual tool…

The Cooney Center’s new initiative matters for kids and teachers Early in my education career, I taught ninth-grade English in a small public high school. My vivacious, curious students came from all over San Francisco for our school’s strong community, youth leadership focus, and promise of college readiness. I was an enthusiastic and capable young teacher, excited to read and discuss compelling books with students and to coach them to find their voice and clarify their ideas through writing. My…

Generative AI is here to stay—so how can we help children understand what it is and how to use it responsibly? On March 3, 2025, the Joan Ganz Cooney Center was thrilled to participate in a panel at SXSW EDU exploring how AI can enhance, rather than replace, the student-teacher relationship. Moderator Lisa Guernsey, Director of the Learning Sciences Exchange at New America, opened the conversation by highlighting AI’s potential to reshape literacy and computational thinking. She emphasized that AI-powered…

In this episode of Into the Digital Future, hosts Jordan Shapiro and Laura Higgins sit down with long-time mixed methods researcher Amanda Lenhart to discuss her journey into internet research and her extensive work focused on youth, their mental health, and digital interactions. They delve into myths and misconceptions about digital media, screen time, and the nuanced impact of technology on young people. The conversation also explores the emerging role of generative AI in education, the challenges schools face in…

The Joan Ganz Cooney Center with support from the Walton Family Foundation, is excited to announce a three-year initiative with a simple, yet profound goal: ensuring that the needs and perspectives of children from diverse backgrounds drive educational technology products development for use at home or in school.  The Cooney Center Sandbox aims to reshape an edtech marketplace that is booming in the financial sense—with U.S. school districts spending more than $40 billion annually on apps and software—but lacking evidence…

Recent breakthroughs in Large Language Models (LLMs), generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), intelligent agents, and other AI-driven technologies are driving the rapid expansion of AI in and across our everyday lives. As argued in a recent policy brief I co-authored for CIFAR’s AI Insights series, entitled Responsible AI and Children: Insights, Implications, and Best Practices, this is just as true for kids as it is for adults. In fact, any time kids use or encounter digital technologies, AI is likely already…