[Digital Advisory] Global Kids' Advisory on Digital Media
As we've grown here at the Global Kids Online Leadership Program, we've had incredible opportunities open up to us to do new work and connect with more youth. With that though, has come questions and challenges about how best to do our work and achieve our goals. In an effort to garner the expertise of some of the wonderful people that we've connected with in related fields over the years, we've put together the Global Kids Advisory on Digital Media.
The Advisory is comprised of a group of individuals from diverse sectors who will advise GK in utilizing new media and technology to educate young people about global issues and engage them in civic affairs. The Advisory is working with OLP to strengthen our resources and development so that we can address long-term challenges and goals. We're incredibly excited and thankful to have such a great group of individuals working with us. You can read about each of the members below.
Biographies of the Advisory Board
Nafiza Akter is an undergraduate honors student at Adelphi University in New York City, where she studies and works in their faculty center to provide technical support to academics and helps administer the school's Moodle learning management system. She is a graduate of Global Kids Online Leadership Programs, participating both via Second Life as well as face to face in a variety of capacities in New York.
Mariel Garcia is an undergraduate student in the Faculty of Philosophy and Literature at Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. She is interested in doing research in applied ethics (cultural policies and virtual media) and philosophy of law. She is a graduate of Global Kids Online Leadership Programs, participating via the web and Second Life.
Alan Gershenfeld is a co-founder and managing partner of E-Line Ventures, a ‘double bottom line’ company that produces digital entertainment that engages, educates and empowers.
Joe Kahne studies youth civic engagement and is the director of the Civic Engagement Research Group at Mills College. He recently completed a study with the Pew Internet and American Life Project that examined the relationship between playing games and youth civic engagement. see: www.civicsurvey.org
Eben Kaplan is Assistant Direct of Business Management for CFR.org, where he oversees business operations and marketing for the Council on Foreign Relations' website. Previously, as an editor of CFR.org, he wrote primarily about terrorism and homeland security. Eben also worked as a researcher at Foreign Policy magazine, and has lived and worked in Mexico. Eben graduated from Bard College with honors and a B.A. in political studies.
Alexis Menten is the Senior Program Associate for Education at the Asia Society, which is based out of New York, and has previously worked at the Museum of Modern Art in New York as a producer in the New Media Department.
Ken Miller is the President & CEO of Ken Miller Capital. He also sits on the Global Kids Board of Directors.
Alice Robison is an assistant professor of English at Arizona State University: she studies the literacy and learning practices surrounding social media and digital cultures, especially videogames. Alice recently served as the academic advisor to the New Media Literacies project at MIT, authoring articles, papers, and curriculum on media literacy and education.
Dominique Sindayiganza works for Global Kids as an educator trainer. Prior to working at Global Kids, he has worked as an Education Facilitator with the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center in the Bronx. Dominique also lived and worked in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, where he co-founded and coordinated Baobabconnections, a non-profit multimedia project for youth about globalization.
Robert Torres, Ph.D, runs a not for profit, designbydesign.org, that designs new school in NYC and is the Chief Design and Research Officer of the games-based school, Quest to Learn, scheduled to open this year. As part of his doctoral work at New York University, he has conducted learning assessment research of Gamestar Mechanic, a game designed to teach middle school students basic game design skills.
Eric Zimmerman is the Co-Founder and Chief Design Officer of Gamelab and Gamestar Mechanic. He has taught game design at MIT, NYU, Parsons, and SVA, and is the co-author of multiple books on game design and game culture.
