October 25, 2024
UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center
Teens and Screens Summit 2024
Join us for our 4th annual summit, where we bring together entertainment industry professionals, youth activists, researchers, scientists, and public health leaders to support kids, teens, and young adults through some of the most pressing challenges of our time by meeting them where they are: on screens.
What to Expect
At this invite-only event, attendees can anticipate gaining valuable insights into accurately portraying the lived experiences of kids, teens, and young adults (and the caring adults in their lives), directly engaging with teenage perspectives, and participating in thought-provoking conversations led by industry leaders. Our topics cover crucial discussions on mental health, wellness, and the importance of authentic and inclusive representation. This year's event will be recorded to extend our reach beyond the invite-only guest list.
Schedule
Networking
Refreshments
9 AM
Video & Welcome
9:30 AM
Opening Remarks
Dr. Yalda T. Uhls
Founder & CEO
Center for Scholars & Storytellers
9:40 AM
Public Service Announcement from the California Surgeon General
Dr. Diana Ramos
CA Surgeon General
9:55 AM
Opening Keynote
The Power of Storytelling for Young People
Dustin Lance Black
Writer, Producer, Director, LGBTQ+ Activist
Oscar Award Winning
Rustin, Milk, Under the Banner of Heaven, and more
Panel
10:10 AM
Why Authentic Inclusive Representation Matters
Eduardo Cisneros
Co-Creator & Executive Producer
Acapulco (Apple TV+)
Screenwriter & Producer
Elemental (Pixar Disney), The Afterparty (Apple TV+), and more
Dr. Jonathan P. Higgins
Podcast Host & Author
Black. Fat. Femme. Queer Representation in Media.
Brenda Hsueh
Dr. Devika Bhushan
Pediatrician & Public Health Leader
specializing in racial and gender health equity
Spark Talk
10:45 AM
Evolving Depictions of Masculinity
Grady Miller
CMO, Head of Trends & Features
National Research Group
Tim McKeon
11:05 AM
Networking
Break
11:15 AM
Spark Talk
Gun Violence & Growing Up
Podcast Host & Pediatrician
This is So Awkward – The Puberty Podcast
Jason Genao
Actor
On My Block (Netflix)
Dr. Cara Natterson
11:35 AM
Mental Health On Screen
Panel
Rick Cleveland
Emmy Award Winning Writer & Producer
House of Cards, Six Feet Under, Insatiable, West Wing, and more
Tonja Myles
Activist & Advisor
Actor
Bel-Air (Peacock)
HUNTSMAN FAMILY FOUNDATION
Joy Gorman Wettels
Studio Founder & Producer
Unprisoned (Hulu)
Olly Sholotan
12:20 PM
Networking
Lunch
1:20 PM
Spark Talk
Research, Media & The Youth Vote
Atlas Burrus
Research Coordinator
Center for Scholars & Storytellers
Maddy Roth
Vice President, Social Impact
OBB Media
Dr. Alisha Hines
Research Director
Center for Scholars & Storytellers
1:40 PM
Ask The Teens (the Experts)
Q&A
Emilie Berkowitz
15-year-old YMR student
Thaw Han
16-year-old YMR student
17-year-old YMR student
Jeremy Njonge
16-year-old YMR student
Hailey Flores
Bubba Harris
Youth Media Program Manager
Center for Scholars & Storytellers
Daniel Scheinert
Oscar Award Winning
Writer, Director, Producer
Everything Everywhere All At Once
2:10 PM
Panel
Social Media & Parasocial Relationships
Social Media Influencer, Author
Dr. Mike Parent
Principal Researcher
Hope Lab
Jeffrey Marsh
LGBTQ+ Activist
Dr. Bradley J. Bond
Media Psychology Expert
University of San Diego
Iziaih Choquette
3:00PM
Virtual Chat
Psychology and Screenwriting
Psychologist & Professor
Specializing in the teenage brain
Meg LeFauve
Screenwriter & Producer
Inside Out 2, The Good Dinosaur (Pixar Disney)
Dr. Abigail Baird
Meredith Goldberg-Morse
Director of Social Impact
Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios
Actor, Comedian,
Social Media Influencer
Dennis St. Rose
Executive
CAA, Full Story Initiative
Emily Fitzgerald
Odd Squad, Adventure Time, Helpsters, Tiny Time Travel, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends & more
Emmy Award Winning Writer & Producer
working with LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, unhoused, and formerly incarcerated youth communities
Young Adult Youth Activist
2:50 PM
Networking
Break
3:35 PM
Music and Conversation
Special Performance & Fireside Chat
Alyson Stoner
Actor, Dancer, Author, Founder
Camp Rock, Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Step Up, Cheaper by the Dozen
Leanna Firestone
Singer, Songwriter, and Musician
Spark Talk
4:05 PM
Maximizing Impact with Second Screens
Closing Keynote
4:20 PM
A Call to Action
Supergirl; Riverdale; Chilling Adventures of Sabrina; The Flight Attendant; Red, White & Royal Blue; Fly Me to the Moon; Unpregnant; Free Guy; Doom Patrol; Stargirl; Batwoman; Atlas; and more!
Sarah Schechter
Award Winning Producer
Networking
4:30 PM
Refreshments
👋 Meet our MC’s 🎙️
They will be walking us through the day with interactive activities between panels, Q&As, and spark talks!
Workshop Director
Sheena Brevig
Center for Scholars & Storytellers
Workshop Project Manager
Nina Linhales Barker
Center for Scholars & Storytellers
Thank You to our 2024 Sponsors
That’s a Wrap!
Thank you to all of our attendees, sponsors, speakers, volunteers and staff who made our 2024 Teens and Screens Summit an incredible success!
Art 🤝 Science
Our brains are more malleable during adolescence than at any other time of our lives. With young people reporting more than 9 hours of media consumption a day on average, the role content creators play in youth development cannot be understated. That’s why, through events like our annual Teens and Screens Summit, the Center for Scholars & Storytellers (CSS) at UCLA is committed to bridging the gap between youth, academia, and the entertainment industry — so the stories that kids, teens, and young adults hear, and the content that they consume, can help positively impact the way they think, feel, believe, and behave towards others, themselves, and the world around them.
Interested in being a speaker or learning more about the Teens and Screens Annual Summit? Email info@scholarsandstorytellers.com.