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| Joan Ganz Cooney Center | |
|---|---|
| Name | Joan Ganz Cooney Center |
| Formation | 2007 |
| Founder | Joan Ganz Cooney |
| Headquarters | New York City |
| Parent organization | Sesame Workshop |
| Focus | Digital media for children |
Joan Ganz Cooney Center is a research and innovation laboratory established to advance learning through digital media for children and families. Founded in 2007 by Joan Ganz Cooney with ties to Sesame Workshop, the Center operates within a landscape populated by institutions such as Harvard University, SRI International, and New York University while collaborating with funders like the MacArthur Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Center sits at the intersection of media production exemplified by Sesame Street, policy debates involving the Federal Communications Commission, and scholarly networks including American Educational Research Association and International Society for Technology in Education.
The Center was created in the wake of initiatives led by Joan Ganz Cooney and organizations like Children's Television Workshop to respond to technological shifts exemplified by the rise of YouTube and the proliferation of iPad devices. Early work drew on partnerships with research entities such as Kaiser Family Foundation, Pew Research Center, and RAND Corporation while engaging media producers at PBS, Nickelodeon, and Disney. Over time the Center convened experts from academia including Columbia University, University of California, Berkeley, and University of Michigan as well as nonprofit leaders from Common Sense Media and Khan Academy to address emergent issues in children's digital engagement.
The Center’s mission aligns with goals championed by Joan Ganz Cooney and organizations like UNICEF to ensure equitable access to high-quality media for children. Its focus spans research on user experience with platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu for children, inquiry into design practices used by studios like Walt Disney Animation Studios and DreamWorks Animation, and policy-relevant analyses that intersect with regulators including the Federal Trade Commission and legislators tied to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. Priority areas include literacy outcomes linked to programs akin to Reading Rainbow, numeracy advances inspired by curricula like Common Core State Standards Initiative, and social-emotional learning reflected in work by Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning.
The Center has produced reports and briefs in collaboration with scholars from Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and University of Pennsylvania exploring topics such as learning analytics, adaptive learning platforms, and media co-viewing practices. Publications have examined digital product ecosystems influenced by companies like Google, Apple Inc., and Facebook and assessed outcomes using methodologies practiced at National Academy of Sciences, American Psychological Association, and Society for Research in Child Development. Notable outputs include empirical studies on interactive app quality and policy briefs addressing privacy frameworks similar to COPPA discussions and reporting often cited by outlets like The New York Times and The Washington Post.
Programmatic work has ranged from developer-facing convenings akin to SXSW Interactive to pilot evaluations reminiscent of initiatives by Carnegie Corporation of New York and Annenberg Foundation. The Center has led initiatives to connect creators at studios like PBS Digital Studios with researchers from institutions such as University of California, Los Angeles and University of Chicago to design evidence-based digital experiences. Training and capacity-building efforts mirror programs run by National Science Foundation grant networks and professional development led by Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Funding and partnerships have included philanthropic supporters like the Carnegie Corporation of New York, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and corporate partners including Microsoft and Intel Corporation alongside collaborations with academic centers at Teachers College, Columbia University and policy organizations such as Brookings Institution. Cross-sector alliances have linked the Center to advocacy groups like Save the Children and international partners including UNESCO for comparative work on children's media. Grant-funded research often involved teaming with evaluation firms like MDRC and foundations such as The Wallace Foundation.
The Center’s influence can be seen in shifts in industry practice among producers like Sesame Workshop and in policy dialogues involving U.S. Congress hearings on children's media and digital privacy. Praise has focused on its role convening stakeholders across technology firms like Netflix and academic labs at MIT Media Lab to translate research into design. Criticism has come from scholars and advocates associated with Parents Television Council and some privacy advocates who argue that media-driven interventions risk commercial conflicts similar to critiques leveled at Edutainment ventures and raise questions about measurement practices used by market actors like Nielsen Holdings. Debates also echo long-standing tensions addressed in forums such as Digital Promise and journals like Pediatrics.
Category:Research institutes Category:Children's media