Tween and Teen Programming

There are many approaches to designing programming for teens and tweens, but one helpful tool is the Connected Learning model. In the Connected Learning model, learning “is driven by learners’ interests, supported by their relationships, and oriented towards academic, economic, or civic opportunity.” Rather than learning happening in a vacuum, connected learning looks at a young person’s context and leverages their connections to help increase engagement, interest, and passion in the topics of their choice.

There are three main spheres that “connect” to a young person: their relationships, their unique personal interests, and their academic/work/community settings. In the Connected Learning model, the highest quality of learning occurs when all of these spheres are connected and in sync.

To better understand connected learning, first watch this video from the Connected Learning Alliance.

Then, watch a section of this video, featuring Mimi Ito, director of the Connected Learning Lab at UC Irvine, as she shares an example of connected learning.  The Mimi Ito video should start around 7:09; the section ends around 10:13.

The workbook contains links to additional Connected Learning reflection questions on page 18 if you'd like to explore using it in your own programming.