Environmentalist Dr. Jane Goodall is confirmed to deliver the opening keynote at Kidscreen Summit Virtual on February 8, 2021. Kicking off the event, Dr. Goodall will explore the role the kids entertainment industry can play in helping children develop a lifelong love of the natural world.

In July 1960, a 26-year-old Goodall first journeyed to Tanzania to learn more about chimpanzees, and through her research discovered the animals aren’t as different from humans as was believed at the time. In the ’70s, she launched the Jane Goodall Institute to support field research and conservation efforts. Bringing science to a younger demographic, she also founded Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots, a program that empowers young people around the world to act as conservationists.

Dr. Goodall joins the Kidscreen Summit Virtual lineup as both broadcasters and producers turn their attention to environmentally focused programming.

Dr. Goodall herself has also been making moves in the kids entertainment space recently. The Jane Goodall Institute has partnered with Toronto-based Sinking Ship on upcoming live-action/CG-animated series Jane. This 26 x 11-minute adventure stars a nine-year-old Jane as an activist-in-training who brings her stuffed animals to life with her imagination to help protect the world around her.

Registration for Kidscreen Summit Virtual (February 8 to March 5, 2021) is now open, with both Content Passes ($495) and Business Passes ($995) available. More information can be found online at summit.kidscreen.com.

Photo credit: Toby Burrows