BUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN

ENTERTAINMENT & RESEARCH

TO HELP THE NEXT GENERATION THRIVE

Media has power. Content creators have an opportunity. Research can help.

Featured News

  • New Research! The Future of Faith: Young People, Media, & Spirituality

    Between January and April 2026, CSS conducted 24 virtual focus groups with 86 participants ages 14–24, followed by a May 2026 national survey of 2,001 participants ages 16–24. Together, these methods reveal how young people use media to explore, nurture, and express belief, spirituality, and belonging across religious, spiritual, and non-religious identities. The study was approved by Sterling IRB and supported by the Templeton World Charity Foundation.

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  • NEW RESOURCE: How to Tell Stories of Joyful Fatherhood on Screens

    Tired of the bumbling dad trope? So are teens. Our latest research-backed tip sheet shows content creators how to tell better stories of fatherhood on screen.

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  • New! Foster Care Playlist: Stories of Strength, Not Struggle

    YouTube Kids and CSS are proud to launch the 2nd Foster Care Playlist, where we feature stories from resilient and diverse young people who all have one thing in common—they have been impacted by the foster care system.

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  • Real Recognizes Real: Adolescents on Authentic Inclusive Representation in Film Franchises

    CSS partnered with global insights and strategy firm, National Research Group (NRG), to survey 12,180 adolescents aged 13-24 via syndicated tracking to answer the question: can asking adolescents about representation help studios make hit franchises?

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  • NEW TIP SHEET! Girls & Women in Kids Media

    Our newest tip sheet, created using our AI research tool, AskYalda, and backed by the latest research, it covers everything from giving female characters real agency and diverse bodies, to representing LGBTQ+ and disabled girls as fully realized people. Download it and help us raise the bar for what girls see on screen.

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Clients We’ve Worked With

Working out of UCLA, the Center for Scholars & Storytellers (CSS) is a nonprofit helping connect the biggest names in Hollywood and creative professionals everywhere with evidence-based insights from psychology to positively impact kids, teens, and young adults.

We’re the only organization with the institutional affiliation, academic credibility, and entertainment expertise to meet youth and young adults where they are: on screens.

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THE POWER OF STORIES

Drawing of clap board for film

Stories move hearts and minds in a way that numbers alone can’t. We all know it inherently. And a growing body of research supports it.

THE IMPACT ON YOUTH

Media impact on youth

Good intentions are important, but often not sufficient. Research can help ground us in how to create content responsibly.

Importance of research

THE IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH

The brain is more malleable during early childhood and adolescence than at any other time of our lives. And young people today report consuming more than 9 hours of media a day. 

Ways We Help

Dr. Yalda T. Uhls

Founder & CEO, Center for Scholars & Storytellers

“Although insights that can guide responsible storytelling emerge regularly from the work of social scientists, they are often slow to make their way into the hands of the entertainment industry. That’s why, when I obtained my doctorate in psychology after almost two decades working in the movie industry, I created the Center for Scholars & Storytellers.”