Mizuko (Mimi) Ito is a cultural anthropologist, learning scientist, entrepreneur, and an advocate for connected learning—learning that is equity-oriented, centered on youth interest, and socially connected. Her work decodes digital youth culture for parents and educators, offering ways to tap interests and digital media to fuel learning that is engaging, relevant, and social. She is Professor in Residence and John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Chair in Digital Media and Learning at the University of California, Irvine, where she directs the Connected Learning Lab. The CLL stewards the Connected Learning Alliance, an expanding network of educators, experts and youth-serving organizations mobilizing new technology in the service of equity, access and opportunity for all young people. Mimi is also co-founder of Connected Camps, a non-profit providing online learning experiences for kids in all walks of life. Her publications include: Algorithmic Rights and Protections for Children (2023), Social Media and Youth Wellbeing (2020), The Connected Learning Research Network: Reflections on a Decade of Engaged Scholarship (2020), Affinity Online: How Connection and Shared Interest Fuel Learning (2018), and From Good Intentions to Real Outcomes: Equity by Design in Learning Technologies (2017). https://mimiito.com/
Mizuko (Mimi) Ito
Publications
Neurodiversity Oases Development and Extension – A Policy Brief for Supporting Neurodiversity Inclusive Learning in Japan
Neurodiversity Oases: Supporting connection, learning, and development through shared interests and play
Strengthening Coordination and Connections: How Out-of-School Time Intermediaries Build Relational Infrastructure and Boost Recruitment and Retention
Integrating Connected Learning, Neurodiversity, and Emerging Technology: An Intersectional Analysis of HCI, Education, and Disability Research
The Connected Arts Learning Framework: An Expanded View of the Purposes and Possibilities for Arts Learning Articles
May 20, 2026
Neurodivergent young people have been at the center of spaces that the connected learning community has studied and supported over the years, ranging from anime fandom to online games and maker spaces....
Categories: Connected Learning, Featured, Neurodiversity, Youth Well-BeingMay 13, 2026
Announcing a New Guide to Strengthening Coordination and Connections in Out-of-School Time
Out-of-school time (OST) programs are some of the most powerful spaces for learning rooted in young people’s interests, identities, and communities. But even the strongest programs face a familiar challenge of how...
Categories: Connected Learning, Educational Practice, Equity, Featured, ResearchApril 14, 2026
We are in the midst of a public reckoning about the relationship between technology and youth well-being. Concerns about harmful influences of social media have accelerated with the growth of AI-powered apps....
Categories: Connected Learning, Edtech, Featured, Youth Well-BeingAugust 2, 2023
A New Edited Collection from MIT Press: Algorithmic Rights and Protections for Children
With widespread consumer adoption of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and Dall-E, public awareness has been growing about potential risks and opportunities for young people’s learning and development. From the first...
Categories: Critical Perspectives, Equity, Featured, Research, Youth Well-BeingJuly 20, 2022
Connected Learning Summit 2022 (#CLS2022) kicks off next week with a pre-conference day July 27 featuring online meetups on common issues in research, design and practice. Discussions will be facilitated by Research...
Categories: Connected Learning, Digital Learning, Equity, Featured, ResearchJuly 6, 2022
In addition to inspiring keynotes and plenaries, this year’s Connected Learning Summit features interactive workshops and roundtables offered by Connected Learning Alliance partners. Our partners are research labs, nonprofits, and research-practice collaborations...
Categories: Connected Learning, Digital Citizenship, Digital Learning, Edtech, Educational Practice, Equity, Featured, ResearchFebruary 17, 2022
In their 2018 report, Let’s Go There, Cathy Cohen, Joseph Kahne and Jessica Marshall argue for the importance of “Lived Civics,” an approach to civic education that is centered on “attention to...
Categories: Civic Engagement, Featured, ResearchOctober 18, 2021
HX: Centering Youth, Equity, and Human Experience in a Digitally Networked World
We are researchers of youth digital media practices who have worked together for over a decade to support youth in fostering positive forms of technology engagement. More recently, we have reconnected around...
Categories: Equity, Featured, HX, Research, Youth Well-BeingJuly 20, 2021
We are happy to announce a new collection of research papers and opinion pieces on the topic of Algorithmic Rights and Protections of Children, as an MIT Press Works in Progress collection...
Categories: Critical Perspectives, Equity, Featured, New Trends, Youth Well-Being
