TVKIDS
Nickelodeon has named Dr. Michael H. Levine to the role of senior VP of learning and impact for Noggin, the company’s interactive educational service for preschoolers.
An early-learning and social-policy expert, Levine will focus on deepening Noggin’s value to children and families through content and interactive experiences developed for learning and impact. He will report to Kristen Kane, executive VP of Noggin.
Based in New York, Levine previously spent 12 years at Sesame Workshop, where he served as chief knowledge officer, a member of the senior executive team responsible for driving organization-wide learning, educational partnerships, knowledge exchange and policy leadership. He is also the founding executive director of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center.
Prior to that, Levine was VP for Asia Society, managing interactive media and educational initiatives to promote knowledge and understanding of other world regions, languages and cultures. He also previously oversaw Carnegie Corporation’s groundbreaking work in early childhood development and educational media, and was a senior advisor to the New York City Schools Chancellor, where he directed dropout prevention, afterschool and homeless programs.
Noggin currently features over 1,500 full-length library episodes, short-form videos, Spanish-language videos, music videos featuring preschoolers’ favorite characters and more. New to the ad-free service this month are Blue’s Clues & You! play-along videos, which build on the interactivity of the brand-new series and allow users to explore the stories in an immersive way, engaging with live-action host Josh and the animated characters, by tapping, touching or swiping to navigate through enhanced learning experiences.
Noggin is currently available for iPad, iPhone, Apple TV, Android, Fire tablet and Roku devices, as well as on Amazon’s Prime Video Channels and The Roku Channel.
“Michael brings to Noggin extensive experience in child development and digital media as well as a deep commitment to improving the lives of young children,” said Kane. “He is widely respected as a staunch advocate for children and their families, as well as a field builder for innovation and impact in children’s media. We are so proud to have him focused on making Noggin a destination for joyful learning for our fast-growing subscriber base.”
