Michael H. Levine, Ph.D.

Executive Director

michael.levine@sesameworkshop.org

Dr. Levine oversees the Center's efforts to catalyze and support research, innovation and investment in educational media technologies for young children. Prior to joining the Center, Dr. Levine served as Vice President of New Media and Executive Director of Education for Asia Society, managing the global nonprofit organization's interactive media and educational initiatives to promote knowledge and understanding of Asia and other world regions, languages and cultures. Previously, Dr. Levine oversaw Carnegie Corporation of New York's groundbreaking work in early childhood development, educational media and primary grades reform, and was a senior advisor to the New York City Schools Chancellor, where he directed dropout prevention, afterschool and early childhood initiatives. Dr. Levine has been a frequent adviser to the U.S. Department of Education and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, writes for public affairs journals, and appears frequently in the media. He was named by Working Mother magazine as one of America's most influential leaders in shaping family and children's policy and serves on numerous nonprofit boards, including We Are Family Foundation, Ready To Learn, Talaris Institute and Teach For America. Levine is also currently a senior associate at the Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy at Yale University. He received his Ph.D. in Social Policy from Brandeis University's Florence Heller School and his B.S. from Cornell University.

2009 Recap & an Exciting Look Ahead for 2010!

Dear colleagues:

Happy New Year and thanks for your vital role in the growth and development of the Cooney Center.

Exciting and Productive Year
It has been one wild year for most non-profits, university centers, and corporations, but I am pleased to report that our staff has done a remarkable job of plowing ahead with high impact projects to advance our mission. We enter 2010 as recognized leaders on the education reform, informal learning, technology, and innovation scenes. In 2009, we released four important reports, have initiated several new research projects, and convened a very exciting Breakthrough Learning in a Digital Age Forum at Google HQ in October. A full Forum recap can be found on our Events page, including exclusive podcasts and photos. We have also begun working very closely with the Obama administration on their new Educate to Innovate initiative announced at the White House on November 30th. This initiative expands a new industry prize competition, the Cooney Center Prizes for Innovation, which awards cash prizes and mentorship for innovative mobile and literacy game development. The prizes launch formally on January 7th at Kids@Play during the Consumer Electronics Show.

Looking ahead!
Several upcoming research reports will be released in the first quarter of 2010, exploring intergenerational learning through videogames, the phenomenon of "Multi-Media Multi-Tasking," and an analysis of children's search behavior, which was previewed in a recent story in the NY Times.

New Team Members: Cooney Center Expands
We have made several important staffing changes that have strengthened capacity and solidified our strong team. We are delighted to welcome Dr. Lori Takeuchi (formerly a Cooney Center Fellow) as our new Director of Research. Lori brings a wealth of expertise in learning sciences and STEM, instructional design, writing and project management. Marj Kleinman, an expert on interactive media strategy and production, with a background in child development and kids’ media, now leads the Cooney Center's cross-media efforts as Director of Digital Media, and Dr. Gabrielle Cayton-Hodges, an early math and cognitive sciences expert, is our newest Cooney Center Research Fellow. Two key leaders at the center have also been “on-the-move.” Our Assistant Director, Ann My Thai, has relocated to the Bay Area and now anchors the Cooney Center’s “Silicon Valley practice”, based in San Francisco. Carly Shuler, our Industry Fellow, has also flown the coop to live in her native country of Canada, and is now based in Winnipeg.

On behalf of my colleagues at the Cooney Center we wish you a happy, healthy and productive 2010.

Warmest wishes,

Michael