Community Engagement
The Digital Youth Lab conducts work with community organizations across the Seattle area, including the Seattle Public Libraries, Seattle Public Schools, Seattle Children’s Hospital, local preschools, Seattle-area museums, and more. However, our researchers also conduct studies in more than a dozen countries, including China, Taiwan, Korea, Nepal, the United Kingdom, Germany, Syria, Mexico, and Peru.
KidsTeam UW and Libraries
Celebrating its 10-year anniversary, KidsTeam creates a space for school-aged children from the Seattle area to participate in design research together with members of the Digital Youth Lab. KidsTeam meets twice weekly at UW, and it has led to many successful spinoffs, including a KidsTeam program at the Seattle Public Libraries and annual KidsTeam summer camps. Participants envision, design, and create new technologies, leading to research papers that authentically reflect the perspectives of young users.
Youth Advisory Board (YAB)
The Digital Youth Lab’s Youth Advisory Board (YAB) is a diverse group of local high school students who meet regularly to advise on the lab’s research projects. The YAB is currently advising on projects to develop new computer science curricula, understand teens’ relationships with social media, and create games to cultivate critical perspectives on AI.
PNW Equitable Computer Science Teaching Consortium
Led by Digital Youth Lab faculty, the Pacific Northwest Equitable Computer Science Teaching Consortium brings together teacher educators from higher education institutions across the Pacific Northwest. The group aims to create equitable, responsive, and empowering paths to Computer Science literacy for youth across the region.
Read-a-Rama
Read-a-Rama is a non-profit organization grounded in research that seeks to to cultivate early childhood literacy and is led by Digital Youth Lab researchers. Read-a-Rama prioritizes children in historically marginalized communities with lower literacy rates. The program includes virtual and in-person programming and connects children from across the Seattle area with evidence-based activities that leverage technology to help children develop a love of reading.