Youth Media Lab

The Youth Media Lab was a university-based initiative I co-founded and directed to connect media literacy research with community practice. I partnered with schools, nonprofits, and youth-serving organizations to design and implement programs where young people produced podcasts, films, and advocacy projects. The lab created meaningful opportunities for youth to share their stories while strengthening the capacity of schools and community organizations to center equity and voice in their work.

Check out our podcast

Stories from Cumberland is a six-part documentary podcast about the 2019 Youth Media Lab summer program. Hosted by teaching fellow Rob Upchurch, the series explores how media literacy and production empowered a group of teens in foster care to share their stories and experiences.

Available on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, iHeart or wherever you listen.

Initiatives

Program & Curriculum Design

Created innovative, research-based curricula that integrated media literacy, digital storytelling, and advocacy into youth-centered programming.

Community Partnerships

Collaborated with schools, nonprofits, and foster care organizations to co-design projects addressing local needs and amplifying youth perspectives.

Equity & Youth Voice

Centered underrepresented youth—including foster care and refugee communities—by providing platforms to tell their own stories and challenge inequities.

Research & Evaluation

Applied participatory and iterative evaluation methods to measure impact, inform practice, and model sustainable approaches to media education.