Teens, Digital Media, and the Chicago Public Library. Research Report

Opened in fall 2009, YOUmedia attracts high schoolaged teens who want a safe and welcoming place to hang out and socialize, as well as those with established or nascent interests in both digital and traditional media. With the guidance of staff and the synergy of peer involvement, participants discover and pursue their interests through both collaborative and solitary activities, such as blogging, writing and sharing poetry, playing and reviewing electronic games, producing music and videos, and participating in book clubs. Special events open the door for youth to collaborate with and learn from recognized artists, authors, and experts. YOUmedia is being replicated in 30 learning laboratories across the country. This study, the first of its kind to explore teens' and adults' on-the-ground experiences in the flagship program, focuses on activities from 2010-12. It answers key questions about YOUmedia that can help inform the design of similar initiatives and more general efforts to engage students in learning through the use of technology and student-centered activities. This study: (1) Illuminates how the design of YOUmedia shapes youth participation; (2) Describes the teens that YOUmedia serves, their patterns of participation, and the activities in which they engage; (3) Provides examples of the benefits youth perceive from their participation; (4) Characterizes the roles adults play in engaging teens and the ways programmatic choices have shifted; (5) Offers suggestions for organizations intending to launch similar initiatives; and (6) Illustrates how YOUmedia instantiates elements of the emerging Connected Learning Model. Three appendixes are included: (1) Data Collection Activities and Research Methods; (2) Travel Patterns of Teens; and (3) Supplementary Tables and Graphs.