In-Person Events
The CLS2025 program includes an online program of meetups, talks, and workshops as well as these in person events organized by hosts and sponsors in campuses around the world. In person events include keynotes and panels that will be streamed to online participants, as well as poster sessions, receptions, and viewing parties. These events are open to all CLS participants. We will be updating this page with event details and additional in person meet ups, so be sure to check back for events near you!
Monday, October 6th, 3-6 pm ET (12-3 pm PT)
on 6th floor, MIT Media Lab (E14), 75 Amherst Street, Cambridge, MA 02139
Register for $50 in-person attendance ticket
Register for $50 in-person attendance ticket
Hosting Organization
Sponsors
MIT Scheller Teacher Education Program and The Education Arcade, Learning Games Network, Center for Digital Thriving at Harvard Graduate School of Education
Organizers
Eric Klopfer (MIT Scheller Teacher Education Program and The Education Arcade), Scot Osterweil (The MIT Education Arcade and Learning Games Network)
| Time (ET) | Event |
|---|---|
| 3-4pm | Posters and demos, reception |
| 4-5pm | Keynote speaker: Meryl Alper |
| 5-6pm | Plenary Panel: Youth Mental Health and Technology
|
Featured Research Papers and Showcases
“A Community-Driven Model for Hands-On STEM Learning”
Isminur Yilar (edm8ker), Terence Tan (edm8ker)
“CodeBlueSim: An XR Platform for Immersive Code Blue Team Training Using Apple Vision Pro”
Yiming (Jasmine) Sun (Northeastern University), Yunbing (Hannah) Han (Northeastern University), Nandita Venkat (Northeastern University), Christopher Robinson (Mass General Brigham)
“Creating Digital Games that Engage Kids in Joint Peer-to-Peer Engineering Learning with PBS KIDS’ Team Hamster!”
Jessica Andrews (GBH), Melissa Carlson (GBH), Caroline Pitt (University of Washington), Anessa Roth (GBH), Jason Yipp (University of Washington)
“Digital Wellbeing Workshops: Early Adolescent Girl’s STEM and Wellbeing Adaptive Framework and Program Evaluation”
Linda Charmaraman (Wellesley College), J. Maya Hernandez (Wellesley College), Catherine Delcourt (Wellesley College), Alice Zhang (Wellesley College), Vivian Huang (Wellesley College), Luna Do (Wellesley College), Aliea Nallbani (Wellesley College), Zhamilya Bilyalova (Wellesley College), Mercedes Fernandéz (Wellesley College), Mikhaela Andersonn (Wellesley College), Gillian Hodgden (Wellesley College), Alyssa Gramajo (Wellesley College), Zoë Kronberg (Wellesley College)
“Early Adolescent YouTube Use and Mental Health on Academic Outcomes: A Mixed Methods Study”
Linda Charmaraman (Wellesley College), J. Maya Hernandez (Wellesley College), Beth Wilson (Wellesley College), Ramona Smucker (Wellesley College), Gillian Sjoblom (Wellesley College), Julia Cromwell (Wellesley College), Rachel Hodes (Wellesley College), Mirka Estrada (Wellesley College)
“Engaging Students in Computing Education through a Smart Greenhouse Project: An Exploratory Study”
Helen Zhang (Boston College), Ji Hye Park (Seed Institute), Avneet Hira (Boston College), Sheikh Ahmad Shah (Boston College), Jaai Phatak (Boston College), Mike Barnett (Boston College)
“Figma-infused curricula in a Global Food Production and Health course to foster systems thinking”
Aravind Sai Sarathy (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
“From Academia to Application: Bridging the Gap in AI Guidelines for Early Childhood (Ages 2-6)”
Brinleigh Murphy-Reuter (Boston Children’s Hospital, Digital Wellness Lab)
“MoSAIC: A Hybrid Framework for Understanding Social Curiosity in Digital Learning Environments”
Caitlin Morris (MIT Media Lab), Pattie Maes (MIT Media Lab)
“Recipes for Engaging Beyond Our Walls: 50+ Towns Making Their Own Story Games” Benjamin Stokes (Associate Professor, American University), Eric Schoenborn (PhD Candidate, American University), Hazel Arroyo (Design Researcher), Meagan Couture (Design Researcher)
“Reflecting in-Action: Improving Learning in Extended Reality with AI-empowered Reflection”
Oluwatomilade Olarinde (Northeastern University), Eileen McGivney (Northeastern University), Erica Kleinman (Northeastern University), Fiona Shyne (Northeastern University), Kaylah Facey (Northeastern University), Seth Cooper (Northeastern University), Casper Harteveld (Northeastern University)
“Remixing STEAM Activities for Public Libraries’ Local Community Interests”
Ada Ren-Mitchell (MIT)
“ScratchJr Bots”
Caleb Weinstock (Boston College), Eliot Laidlaw (Boston College), Marina Bers (Boston College)
“Teacher-Driven, Algorithm-Supported: Getting More Out of Adaptive Digital Learning Platforms”
Riddhi Divanji (foundry10)
“The Listen and Tell Workshop: Fostering Environmental Awareness and Community Engagement for Disadvantaged Children”
Shu-Ming Cho (National Taitung University, Taiwan), Yi-Te Lin (Freechild Studio)
“The Smart Greenhouse Project: Physical Computing to Learn STEM”
Sheikh Ahmad Shah (Boston College), Jaai Uday Pathak (Boston College), Ji Hye Park (Seed Institute), Mobina Beheshti (Boston College), Avneet Hira (Boston College), Helen Zhang (Boston College), Michael Barnett (Boston College)
“Understanding Teacher Requirements for Game-Based Learning Analytics Dashboards”
Uttkarsh Narayan (Northeastern University), Erica Kleinman (Northeastern University), Casper Harteveld (Northeastern University), Victoria Bennett (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute), Tarek Abdoun (New York University Abu Dhabi), Yevgeniya Zastavker (Olin College of Engineering)
“Understanding the Digital Lives of Neurodivergent Adolescents: Current Perspectives on Academic and Family Contexts”
J. Maya Hernandez (Wellesley College), Meryl Alper (Northeastern University), Linda Charmaraman (Wellesley College)
“Youth Wellbeing by Design: Integrating Research, Critical Perspectives, and Innovation”
Carrie James (Center for Digital Thriving, Harvard Graduate School of Education)
Monday, October 6th, 12-6 pm ET (9am-3pm PT)
at New York University, 370 Jay St., Brooklyn, NY
RSVP required. No additional cost to attend
RSVP required. No additional cost to attend
Hosting Organization
Sponsors
Organizers
Maria Janelli (Scratch), Jan Plass (NYU), Michael Preston, Catherine Jhee (Joan Ganz Cooney Center)
| Time (ET) | Event |
|---|---|
| 12-1pm | Lunch and Registration |
| 1-1:45pm | Designing Educational Products: The View from the Industry |
| 2-2:45pm | Designing Educational Products: The View from Startups |
| 3-4pm | Poster Session |
| 4-6pm | Viewing of Keynotes and Plenary |
Featured Research Papers and Showcases
“AI as a Learning Partner: Lessons Learned in Designing Pedagogically Aligned AI Integration for College Classrooms”
Yipu Zheng (New York University)
“Collaborative Scratch-Based Robotics in Smart Classrooms: A Design-Based Approach to Developing Computational Thinking in Middle School”
Xiang Ni (Teachers College, Columbia University), Ruiqi Zhang (Teachers College, Columbia University)
“Connecting Communities to Untold Histories Through Location-Based AR Learning”
Brandy Coleman (Teachers College, Columbia University)
“Designing for Well-Being and Engagement: How Scratch Research Informs Equitable Platform Innovation”
Nikita Khalid (Scratch Foundation), Tif Gagnon (Scratch Foundation)
“Efficacy and Impact of AI-Driven Training for Metaphor Comprehension: Automated by Humanoid Robot and Enhanced by Virtual Reality – A Pilot Study”
Lorenza Saettone (University of Genova), Carmine T. Recchiuto (University of Genova), Hui-Yin Wu (Inria Centre de Recherche Sophia Antipolis Mediterranee, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur)
“How Social Media Helps or Hinders Wellbeing: Voices from Adolescents in Their Own Words”
Zhamilya Bilyalova (Wellesley Centers for Women, Wellesley College), Linda Charmaraman (Wellesley Centers for Women, Wellesley College)
“How Student-Led Virtual Discourse Shaped Civic Understanding of Affirmative Action After SFFA v. Harvard & UNC”
Isabel Epistelomogi (Institute for Youth in Policy Education Department), Siya Mishra (Institute for Youth in Policy Education Department), Henry Tan (Institute for Youth in Policy Education Department), Lalitaditya Akkaraju (Institute for Youth in Policy Education Department), Manas Sinha (Institute for Youth in Policy Education Department), Mollie Guba (Institute for Youth in Policy Education Department)
“Making Research More Participatory through Collaboration with Autistic Mentors”
Nicole Wang (New York University), Ciara Carr (City University of New York), Andrew Yan (New York University), Dana Delgrosso (City University of New York), Kristen Gillespie-Lynch (City University of New York), Dora Onwumere (New York University), Kristie Patten (New York University), Ariana Riccio (Education Development Center), Wendy Martin (Education Development Center), Louis Rotondo (City University of New York), Rita Strickland (City University of New York), Sam Tumulo (Education Development Center)
“More Than Meets the Eye: Transforming Black Boys’ STEM Identities through Liberatory Co-Design and Computational Making”
Kareem Edouard (Drexel University)
“SOFLA® — The Synchronous Online Flipped Learning Approach”
Helaine W. Marshall (MALP, LLC)
“Source?: A Media Literacy Simulation for the Age of Misinformation”
Jiin Hur (Teachers College, Columbia University)
“Young Children as Creative Designers: Participatory Design of Podcast Stories with 5–8-Year-Olds and Their Parents”
Mingyue Sun (Education Development Center), Amanda Emsais (Education Development Center), Amanda Cardarelli (Education Development Center), Elizabeth Hunt (Education Development Center), Megan Silander (Education Development Center)
Monday, October 6th, 2-5 pm PT
at 2121 Berkeley Way, Berkeley School of Education Building
Register for $30 ($15 for students) in person attendance ticket
Register for $30 ($15 for students) in person attendance ticket
Hosting Organization
Prolepsis Design Studio, UC Berkeley School of Education
Sponsors
Berkeley Prolepsis Design Lab, Stanford School of Education
Organizers
Kris Gutierrez (UC Berkeley Prolepsis Design Lab), Antero Garcia (Stanford School of Education), Josephine (Josie) Ingram Defaye (UC Berkeley School of Education)
In Room 1102, first floor |
|
|---|---|
| Time (PT) | Event |
| 2-3pm | Keynote Speaker: Vanessa Angélica Villarreal |
| 3-4pm | Plenary Panel: Engaging Technologies as Tools of Resistance, Dignity, and Respect - with speakers Sepehr Vakil, Jose Lizzaraga, Antero Garcia - moderated by Kris Gutiérrez |
In Room 4500, fourth floor |
|
|---|---|
| Time (PT) | Event |
| 4-5pm | Posters Session for Showcases and Research Papers |
Featured Research Papers and Showcases
“A Children’s Rights Audit of GenAI Tools for Learning”
Ayca Atabey (Digital Futures for Children Centre, LSE), Kim Ringmar (Digital Futures for Children Centre, LSE), Sonia Livingstone (Digital Futures for Children Centre, LSE)
“Creativity Without Borders: An Impact Study of Unstructured Studio’s Low-Cost Tinkering Approach to Student Learning in Rural India”
Srishti Sethi (Unstructured Studio)
“Creating Interest in STEM Through Creativity”
Ryan Pilat (Stanford Graduate School of Education)
“Joyful Learning in Video Gaming Communities: How We Can Begin Identifying Joyful Learning in Adult Learners”
Luna Laliberte (Stanford University)
“Narrative Design Thinking: Short Stories as Design Challenges in Children’s Makerspaces”
Sonia Tiwari (Makers Mission)
“Rites of Passage for the Digital Age: A New Approach to Future Readiness”
Betty Ray (Pandora’s Way)
“TeacherCollab: Scaling Responsive Teaching to Support Student-Centered Participatory Math Classrooms”
Jennifer Osuna (Stanford University), John Mitchell (Stanford University), Miroslav Suzara (Stanford University), Charis Charitsis (Stanford University), Shuman Wang (Stanford University), Ena Murphy (San Francisco State University), Sierra Wang (Stanford University)
“The Joyful Learning Initiative: Early Insights for Research and Design”
Brigid Barron (Stanford), Sophie Chen (Stanford), Luna Laliberte (Stanford), Caitlin Martin (Stanford)
“Transformative World-Making as Critical Literacy: Youth Re-Designing Sociotechnical Systems to Imagine Alternative Futures”
Edward Rivero (Columbia University), Arturo Cortez (UC Davis)
“UC Davis Efficacy Study”
Drew Cingel (UC Davis), Vicenc Ferrer (Lingokids)
“We Are the Algorithm: Reclaiming Data and Redefining Success Through Youth Sports Science”
Noma Shields (Youth Sports Science Institute, Founder & CEO)
Monday, October 6th, 2-5 pm MT (1-4 pm PT)
Hosting Organization
ITLS, USU
Sponsors
Organizers
Andy Walker, Deborah Fields, ITLS
| Time (MT) | Event |
|---|---|
| 2-4pm | Viewing of keynotes and plenary |
| 4-5pm | Snacks and posters |
Featured Research Papers and Showcases
“Connecting Play to Pathways: An Evidence Centered Game Design Model for Early STEM Learning”
Alireza (Sina) Zandi (Utah State University), Anahita Ashineh (Utah State University), Jody Clarke-Midura (Utah State University)
“Personal and Sociotechnical Tensions in Data Science: Mapping Indigenous Food Access in Middle School Social Studies”
Kristin Searle (Utah State University), Deborah Fields (Utah State University), Mengying Jiang (Utah State University), Bolaji Bamidele (Utah State University), Michaela Harper (Utah State University), Waqas Ahmad (Utah State University)
Monday, October 6th, 12-4 pm PT
at CLL Lab, Calit2 3330, UC Irvine
RSVP required. No additional cost to attend
RSVP required. No additional cost to attend
Hosting Organization
The Connected Learning Lab, UC Irvine
Sponsors
The Connected Learning Lab, UC Irvine
Organizers
Mimi Ito, Connected Learning Lab at UC Irvine
| Time (PT) | Event |
|---|---|
| 12-1pm | Research Paper and Showcase Posters / Lunch |
| 1-4pm | Viewing of Keynotes and Plenaries
|
Featured Research Papers and Showcases
“Advancing Equity in STEM: Analyzing Survey Tools for Female High School Students Using the COSTAR Framework in Large Language Models”
Mariama Henry (USC alumna), Haoning Jiang (University of California, Irvine), Seth Corrigan (University of California, Irvine), Kylie Peppler (University of California, Irvine)
“Ask or Outsource? What Drives Students to Use GenAI Strategically (or Reliantly)”
Andrea Macias (University of Southern California), Stephen Aguilar (University of Southern California)
“Co-Designing Homeboy Technologies: Reflections on a 3-Year Partnership Engaging System-Impacted and Formerly Gang-Affiliated Youth in Creative Technology”
Kurt Squire (University of California, Irvine), Richard Martinez (University of California, Irvine), Fabian Debora (Homeboy Art Academy)
“Early Insights on Promoting Critical Thinking with an AI Coach for Argumentative Writing”
Yuqing Xing (University of Southern California), Stephen Aguilar (University of Southern California), Benjamin Nye (University of Southern California, Institute for Creative Technologies), William Swartout (University of Southern California, Institute for Creative Technologies), Aaron Shiel (University of Southern California, Institute for Creative Technologies)
“Instructor-Led Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) Interventions vs. Unstructured Student-Initiated Use in Post-Secondary Education: A Systematic Literature Review”
Rosie Le Xiu (University of Southern California), Stephen Aguilar (University of Southern California)
“Leveraging AI to Enhance Student Success: Insights from My Learning Coach (MLC)”
Patrick Hong (University of California, Irvine)
“Mapping Network Health in Rural Educational Collaborations: A Social Network Analysis Method”
Seth Corrigan (University of California, Irvine), Kylie Peppler (University of California, Irvine), Maggie Dahn (University of California, Irvine), Mimi Ito (University of California, Irvine)
“Problematic Content, Social Media & Adolescent Males”
Kurt Squire (University of California, Irvine), Constance Steinkuehler (University of California, Irvine), Walter Squire (University of Washington, Seattle)
“Reframing Autism: Towards a Neurodiverse Connected Learning Environment”
Yiqi Xiao (University of California, Irvine), Litong Zeng (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
“Speculative Design for Imagining Futures: Embedding Community-Centered Data in a GIS Learning Model”
Aakriti Bisht (University of California, Irvine), Teresa Hachey (University of California, Irvine), Rossella Santagata (University of California, Irvine), Hosun Kang (University of California, Irvine), Symone Gyles (University of California, Irvine), Yuxi Huang (University of California, Irvine), Taryn Williams (University of California, Irvine), Jennifer Long (University of California, Irvine), Sara Ludovise (Orange County Department of Education), Erick Valdez (Orange County Department of Education), Brett Sanders (University of California, Irvine)
“Strengthening Synapses: Fostering Connections and Pathways for Youth Across STEM Learning Ecosystems”
Kylie Peppler (University of California, Irvine), Mizuko Ito (University of California, Irvine), Maggie Dahn (University of California, Irvine), Seth Corrigan (University of California, Irvine)
“Talking to a Tree: A Generative AI-Mediated Collaborative Game for Knowledge Community”
Litong Zeng (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), Yiqi Xiao (University of California, Irvine), Fan Xia (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
“Teen Safety and Governance in Popular Multiplayer Online Games”
Agnes Romhanyi (University of California, Irvine), Annabella Luy (University of California, Irvine), Brandon Retana (University of California, Irvine), Christie Weru (University of California, Irvine), Constance Steinkuehler (University of California, Irvine)
“Together Tales: Designing Neurodiverse Connected Learning Through AI-Supported Co-Creation”
Yiqi Xiao (University of California, Irvine), Litong Zeng (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
“Why We Should Listen to Teens, By Teens: Motivations and Conceptualizations of a Youth Advisory Board (YAB)”
Rotem Landesman (University of Washington), Jayne Everson (University of Washington), The 2024–2025 UW YAB Cohort, Katie Davis (University of Washington)
Wednesday, October 8th, 12-1:30 pm AEDT (October 7th, 6-7:30 am PT)
Hosting Organization
University of Sydney
Sponsors
Organizers
| Time (AEDT) | Event |
|---|---|
| 12-1:30pm | Viewing of Meryl Alper keynote and discussion |
Thursday, October 9th, 8am-12 pm Jakarta Time (October 8th, 6:00 pm PT)
RSVP for IDR 500.000 (~USD 31) in person attendance ticket
Local website: CLS - Indonesia 2025
Local website: CLS - Indonesia 2025
Hosting Organization
Sponsors
School of Electrical Engineering and Informatics (STEI), ITB
Organizers
| Time (Jakarta) | Event |
|---|---|
| 8-9am | Posters and Demos, Reception |
| 9-10am | Keynote Speaker: Dr. Noor Huda Ismail, Senior Fellow, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), NTU Singapore |
| 10am-12pm | Plenary Panel on Education, Human Resources, Innovation, and Media |
Friday, October 10th, 1-2 pm PT
at Donald Bren Hall 6011, Irvine, CA 92617
No additional cost to attend
No additional cost to attend
Hosting Organization
Sponsors
Connected Learning Lab and Department of Informatics, UC Irvine
Organizers
Mimi Ito and Katie Salen, Connected Learning Lab at UCI
| Time (PT) | Event |
|---|---|
| 1-2pm | Keynote speaker: Danaé Metaxa |
Host Your Own Viewing Party
Want to bring CLS 2025 directly into your community? As a viewing party host, your group can:
- Stream live keynotes and plenaries and facilitate local conversations, creating deeper engagement with summit themes.
- Forge community and synergy by connecting with a global network of educators, researchers, and innovators.
- Spark new initiatives and collaborations that live beyond the conference.
These gatherings might take place on campuses, in makerspaces, community centers, or any other space where ideas are shared.
Want to join as a host?
Contact us!