Cross-Collaborative
Think Tank Events
Building bridges for innovation and collaboration across industries to create solutions at the intersection of media and youth wellbeing
Think tank events hosted by the Center for Scholars & Storytellers (CSS) at UCLA bring together content creators, entertainment industry professionals, researchers, community activists and young people with lived experiences to work in small, highly collaborative groups. The goal is to tackle pressing issues in youth media and develop actionable solutions, such as toolkits and resources that can directly support storytellers in creating media that positively impacts adolescents (ages 10-25). These think tanks not only influence storytelling but also train content creators to integrate research into their work.
How It Works
Think Tank events typically consist of two sessions. These sessions can be held virtually or in person, and are typically a few months apart. Between sessions, CSS selects the most promising ideas and manages their development (see examples of outputs and impact below).
Inspire & Brainstorm
The first session focuses on defining the problem, gathering information, and brainstorming innovative ideas.
Analyze & Develop Solutions
In the second session, participants reconvene to workshop the progress and refine selected ideas into concrete solutions.
Outputs & Impact
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Better Representations of Foster Youth
Through conversations at our think tank events, it became clear that negative stereotypes of foster care in the media impact youth. We created resources and videos with YouTube Kids (40 million views to date) to help highlight positive representations of youth in foster care. Joanna Johnson (The Fosters) presented about this work at our 2023 summit event.
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Research: How Stories About Mental Health Impact Teens IRL
This study, which was the result of one of our cross-collaborative think tank events, was published in JMIR journal and written about in Deadline and NPR. It has led to several follow-up studies and been shared with content creators and marketers in partnership with CAA.
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Evolving Depictions of Men & Boys On-Screen
Child development research shows that boys and girls benefit from representations of themselves that give them permission to embrace all facets of their identities. Inspired by one of our think tank events, we created a Boys Tip Sheet, which led to the development of the PBS Kids show and CSS’s presentation at their producers summit in 2024.
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How Authentic Storytelling Improves Your Bottom Line
One of our think tank events led to the creation of our very first AIR Report, which was written about in outlets like Deadline and continues to be mentioned in press such as Los Angeles Magazine and Fox News. This led further collaboration with CAA and the presentation of our research at the Hollywood Reporter's Inclusion Summit. To date, we are continuing to develop research in this area to support storytellers with the facts about how authentic and inclusive storytelling is not only morally right but also fiscally responsible.
Upcoming Think Tank Events
We currently have two think tank events planned for the Spring of 2025. The topics of these events will revolve around evolving depictions of systems-facing youth (young people impacted by incarceration, homelessness, foster care, etc.) and men and boys on-screen. Save the Date and contact us for more information.
