Leveling Up: Connected Mentor Learning in a Digital Media Production After-School Space

This article introduces mirrored practice of leveling up as a model for educator learning grounded in connected and the mentor framework. Our purpose is to introduce this share examples how it can be enacted. We argue that rich successful way youth development professionals expand their capacities educators support expansive possibilities young people’s learning. The supports all educators’ growth, but particularly applicable mentors working interest-driven, informal environments like makerspaces YOUmedia labs. drawn from our analysis 2 years ethnographic observations an after-school digital design studio housed urban public high school Chicago. describe using same principles tools learn students utilized. In model, means both are supported constantly moving towards progressively complex tasks, knowledge, understanding. Methods data collection include video- audio-taped interviews with media mentors.