Ashley DeLeon is a children's entertainment producer, performer, and media scholar. She conducted research on the evolving landscape of children's media in the age of streaming, accompanied by case studies that charted significant changes over the past two decades. In 2023, Ashley graduated summa cum laude from St. Michael's College with a B.A. in Media Studies, Journalism & Digital Arts, earning departmental honors. Notably, she clinched the prestigious Top Scholar Award for exceptional academic performance within the Media Studies department, along with the esteemed John D. Donoghue Award for leadership in student media. She is also a member of the Children's Media Association. 

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Her recent web-documentary, The Third Parent, is an exploration of children's television in the age of streaming and how the pervasiveness of social media has impacted parenting and the concept of childhood.

 

Ashley is employed at Songs for Littles LLC, the company that produces "Ms. Rachel– Baby Learning Videos & Toddler Learning Videos," where she works as a videographer and recurring cast member. The award-winning YouTube Kids channel has accrued over 5 billion streams and nearly 10 million subscribers. Their content uses research-based modalities and Department of Education curricula to enhance speech and social development among babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.

 

Ashley has also received formal training from the Susan Batson Studio in NYC, where she studies acting and screenwriting.

 

Her additional film work is a traverse between unconventionality and investigative storytelling. Her credits include producing a short documentary feature about the diabetes epidemic among working-class communities in Upper Manhattan & The Bronx, a film about a musician's pursuit toward environmentalism after the pandemic, and a short narrative film about navigating her internal conflict as a biracial woman (in progress). Both published films have been featured in international film festivals, the former earning eligibility for consideration at the Canadian Screen Awards.

 

In the future, Ashley hopes to use her advocacy for media literacy in primary and secondary education, equitable education, and safe screen use to teach children valuable skills through digital media. She anticipates a continued career in children's "edutainment," and looks forward to reformulating the blueprint of how we educate children in the digital age.

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