Navigating the Future of Youth Media & Digital Learning

Beacon Media Lab is where children's media expertise meets learning sciences. We guide organizations, educators, and creators through the rapidly evolving landscape of youth content, media literacy, and digital education. We sit squarely at the center of educational content and entertainment content.

Founded by Dr. Kelly Leahy Ellerton, Beacon Media Lab draws on decades of experience shaping award-winning children's media—from the development rooms at Nick Jr. and Discovery Kids to the educational teams at PBS and iCivics. We combine production expertise with cutting-edge research to help clients create content that resonates with Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences while advancing learning and digital citizenship.

Our Approach

Beacon Media Lab offers consulting services, strategic advisory, research and evaluation, and digital resources for organizations committed to creating meaningful media experiences for young audiences.

Beacon Media Lab combines:

• Industry wisdom from inside Nickelodeon, PBS, and Discovery Kids

• Research rigor from nearly two decades of researching at Harvard University, MIT, and Syracuse University

• Innovation mindset from authoring and leading federal-funded projects in educational technology

• Practical experience ideating, developing, and scaling products to millions of young people

Whether you're developing new content, evaluating existing programs, or building media literacy initiatives, we provide expert guidance grounded in what works—not just what's trendy.

Our Expertise

Youth Media & Content

• Children's media development and storytelling

• Family media co-viewing and engagement

• Gen Z and Gen Alpha audience research

• Educational entertainment design

• Character development and narrative structure

• Age-appropriate content strategies

Digital Learning & Literacy

• Media literacy education and curriculum design

• Information literacy and source evaluation

• Critical thinking skill development

• Digital citizenship frameworks

• News literacy and misinformation detection

• Online safety and privacy education

Emerging Technologies

• Immersive environments (XR/metaverse) for learning

• AI-powered educational tools and content

• Digital games for education and civic engagement

• Interactive media and transmedia storytelling

• Platform literacy (social media, streaming, gaming)

• Algorithmic literacy and recommendation systems

Social Impact & Civic Engagement

• Civic education and youth civic participation

• Democracy education and constitutional literacy

• Service learning and community engagement

• Social-emotional learning through media

• Diversity, equity, and inclusion in children's content

• Gender representation in media

Research & Evaluation

• Educational impact assessment

• Audience testing and formative research

• Learning outcomes measurement

• Content effectiveness evaluation

• User experience research with youth

• Developmental psychology applications in media

  Let's Work Together: kelly@beaconmedialab.com