Last updated on Feb. 10, 2026 at 01:48 p.m.
Editor’s note: This article was updated to accurately reflect the fact that “Teen Summit 2.0: The Remix” is a collaborative initiative between Illinois Public Media and the College of Education, with support from the state government and the College of Fine & Applied Arts. The story was also updated to correct Malaika McKee’s titles. The Daily Illini regrets the errors.
Illinois Public Media announced the launch of a new multi-media civic initiative and TV Program called “Teen Summit 2.0: The Remix” on Jan. 29, which is dedicated to creating discussions and educating the next generation of civic leaders.
Made in collaboration with the University’s College of Education and The Communiversity Public Media Project, the program aims to teach teens how to engage in civic debates while building their media literacy and communication skills.
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The new initiative is expanding the legacy of Black Entertainment Television’s original “Teen Summit” in the ’90s and has the support of Sheila Johnson, cofounder of Black Entertainment Television and a University alum.
Johnson stated in the announcement that the initiative creates a new chapter in expanding “Teen Summit’s” legacy. Since the initiative will take place at the University, she looks forward “to working with Illinois Public Media and the Teen Summit team throughout the launch and engaging with the exceptional teens who will shape its future.”
Malaika McKee, professor in Education and the co-creator and executive producer of “Teen Summit 2.0: The Remix,” wrote in the announcement that the initiative is meant to bring more perspectives to complex issues. She went on to write that the initiative will allow them “to honor the legacy of the original program while expanding its reach through public media, education and community-centered storytelling.”
McKee — a Chancellor’s Fellow in the Office of Public Engagement and director of the Communiversity Public Media Project — told The Daily Illini the initiative is a collaboration between several key stakeholders. Without the institutional partnerships, McKee stated, there would not be a project, nor would it have been funded.
McKee specifically expressed gratitude to Chrystalla Mouza, dean of Education.
“Our Dean, Chrystalla Mouza, has expended significant human capital through my position at the College of Education, and therefore COE is a co-equal partner in this work,” McKee wrote. “This project is part of the new way our University is considering public scholarship as an important part of reinvigorating the Land Grant Mission.”
In addition to the various interdisciplinary collaborations, the state of Illinois supported the initiative. State Rep. Carol Ammons and Gov. JB Pritzker helped push legislation to advance youth-centered civic dialogue through public television.
McKee explained that there is a strong research component underpinning the new program, which engages aspects of neuroscience and hip hop pedagogy.
“These are new innovations to television programming for teens that are making the scholarship of the academy a part of public engagement,” McKee wrote.
This program also involves support from the College of Fine & Applied Arts, McKee stated. Jacob Pinholster, dean of FAA, supported the program through the Hip Hop Innovation Center lending significant talent toward making the show possible.
Auditions have been underway since early February as IPM prepares to begin taping in March after selecting participating youth ages 15-19.
Reginald Hardwick, news & public affairs director at IPM and co-executive producer, shared that the show will air on WILL-TV and will consist of a four-episode pilot.
“I think there is a need for in-depth conversations, and some of these folks talked about their experiences, and I just think we need to hear them,” Hardwick said. “The show will be racially diverse; we really want to hear from teenagers across the spectrum.”
According to Hardwick, the show will appeal to a younger audience. Short clips posted on social media, multiple domains to access it and viral moments could generate a following for the show, the producers hope.
“It is my goal, and why I am in public media, to really elevate voices that we do not hear from, and involve folks,” Hardwick said. “So I think if the show is going to survive, we definitely need to grab the audience that so many other platforms have done so easily.”
