As screens shape how children learn, connect, and create, the real challenge is not limiting screen time—it is strengthening the human capacities children bring to screen use.

In this engaging one-hour session, children’s media expert and festival director Nicole Dreiske will share the core principles behind Screen Smart®—a neuroscience-based, child-centered framework that helps young people develop focus, empathy, self-regulation, and critical thinking in digital environments.

Rather than portraying screens as the enemy, Screen Smart demonstrates how intentional design, embodied learning, and reflective practice can transform passive consumption into active meaning-making.

Designed for educators, filmmakers, and media leaders, this session offers practical strategies for a bold cultural intervention.

Technology and screen use do not have to diminish children’s humanity. Rather, screens can be used to foster healthy digital habits that help children remain curious, compassionate, and cognitively strong in the digital age.

Date: Friday, 22 May 2026

Time: 11:00 AM CST / 7:00 PM EET