Sesame Street Takes On Bullying in Shows, Talking Points

Oct. 18, 2011 “Look at those feet!” Big Bird is told. “They’re ridiculous!” --“They are?”As he tries to get accepted into the “Good Bird Club,” he shifts from “happy to be me” to hanging his feathered … [Read more...]

American Teacher Film Premiere: Review, Media Roundup

Oct. 11, 2011 American Teacher premiered in San Francisco this week, and I found myself pre-qualifying industry colleagues to see who had a macro lens to cover the screening in my absence, with … [Read more...]

Selling Reluctant Readers: 10 Marketing Tactics To Amp Up Fun

Feb. 14, 2017 Valentine's Day Update: More ways to encourage reading, with therapy dogs (via MindshiftKQED Learning)  and a few "Kidlit" picks for Valentine's Day that streamed across my desk, here … [Read more...]

Reading Rockets Kids Into Their Future (Pt.1: Kalimah Priforce)

Aug. 18, 2011 Virtual show of hands, please... If it’s not on the "must read" summer reading list for back to school prep, how many kids cracked a classic this season? How ‘bout a kidlit … [Read more...]

CCFC Puts Energy Into Cleaning Up School Commercialism

May 16, 2011 Continuing our ‘positive picks’ series on media and marketing that matters, a gigantic ‘Howard Beale’ style shout from the windows “w00t!” to champions of change at CCFC, Campaign for a … [Read more...]

Deconstructing Thanksgiving Stereotypes: The Mediatrician Is In

Nov. 25, 2015 Update: Couldn't resist this timely SNL Adele Thanksgiving skit slamming stereotypes...Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! Nov. 27, 2014 Update: Favorite post to add this year for … [Read more...]

Steamed About Sexualization? Healthy Media for Youth Act Now!

July 12-16, 2010: Healthy Media for Youth week! Fed up with “boy chasin’ bed swappin’ lip-lickin’ hottie-hoochie booty-bouncin’ appearance-is-everything” cues comin’ at your girls? Yah, so are … [Read more...]

Media Vamping: Twilight Talking Points, Bite Me Brouhaha

July 9, 2010 “There’s an obsession among many teens today for all things vampire, and it looks like the craze is now leaving a mark…literally.” So goes the opener for CBS News Early Morning Show … [Read more...]

Stars & Stripes Celebrations For America the Beautiful

July 3, 2010 With the TEDxOilspill recap of innovative solutions airing on pbs last night (complete with faux BPGlobalPR masked man Leroy Stick) Oil, and WorldWildlife Fund Free e-cards reminding that … [Read more...]

Noah! Welcome to the Digital World, Baby! (PBS Early Learning)

June 16, 2010 Personal post today to welcome (in over 325 languages) Shaping Youth advisory board member Dr. Robyn Silverman’s new son into the world of global digital citizenship. Born: Mr. Noah … [Read more...]

She’s The First To Rock For AfricAid! Support Girls Education Worldwide

June 10, 2010 It’s ironic. As schools let out for summer and kids in the US fist-pump with glee that they’re OUT, there are young girls in Africa doing the same thing when they find out they’ve … [Read more...]

Hey Grads! Free Gift For You! Josh Shipp’s 2010 Graduation Rap

June 5, 2010 As high schools pour out cap-flipping whoops and hollers from an elated senior class, the hidden layer beneath reveals a wee bit of queasiness about entering a lousy economy fraught with … [Read more...]

Summer Fun & The War Play Dilemma (+Online Gaming Stats)

May 22, 2014 Adding this article from The Guardian Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare; a non-gamer's guide and Jinny Gudmundsen's Common Sense Media's post, "10 Most Violent Video Games and 10+ … [Read more...]

Using Kid Lit To Read The Right Message About Bullying

April 18, 2010 Many of you know I clench when I hear the word ‘reporter’ (even though I’m one and the same, it’s different when you’re behind the keyboard) because media has powerful potential to … [Read more...]

Socially Responsible Picture Books: Dream Village Part 2

Mar. 23, 2010 Today I was honored to be the guest speaker at SFSU Professor Betsy Blosser’s Media & Social Change class, and brought a gazillion examples of cool work being done in the digital … [Read more...]

CoLABoratory of Creativity: Program for the Future 2010

March 1, 2010 Once upon a time, I spent 25+ years as a creative director at virtual agency:  Copy/Concepts. Collaboration came very naturally to me, as we all divvied up our specialty areas and … [Read more...]

Say What? Top Queries From Teens About Sex + Adult Responses Pt.2

Feb. 20, 2010 Remember the old adage ‘There’s no such thing as a stupid question?’ Wish I could say the same for some of these answers, muttered by adults groping for verbiage to handle tense … [Read more...]

USC Media Student Bryn Kressin & Packaging Boyhood Book Winners!

Jan.1, 2010 Happy New Year! This joyous photo of youthful exuberance is Bryn Kressin, at left; one of our Shaping Youth winners of yesterday’s Packaging Boyhood book drawing where we pulled names … [Read more...]

Green Toys and Fun Finds With Big Kid Appeal: Ten Under $10 Pt. 2

Dec. 23, 2009 Shhhhhh...I'm snagging one of the new "Smencils" that just arrived today 'cause I figure 'less is more' and 'variety is the spice' when it comes to stocking stuffers...She doesn't need a … [Read more...]

Meaningful Manga: Graphic Novels and Growth

Update: May 21, 2014 Our friends at Reach and Teach have added another clever manga style illustrated book called "A is for Action" which merits an update! I love the seeding of social change in a fun … [Read more...]