Media Center Offers Youth Summer Classes

One of our favorite things about running five channels of local programming out of the Media Center is being able to tap into area schools for content to help fill our schedules. Almost every day, we air the morning announcement newscasts from schools in the area, including , , , , La Entrada, Hillview, and the 49ers Academy as part of an agreement called the Youth Broadcast Collaborative (YBC), a partnership between the Media Center and school districts.

Last week, I got to spend time with our Youth Broadcast crews from both Jordan and JLS. What I saw with both groups of students was very impressive.

Producing a TV show is a stressful, team effort. Every crew member needs to know their role to a T, so that others can rely on that piece of the puzzle to be ready when it’s time to go live. With both Jordan and JLS, I saw two groups of students who understood the technical aspects of their jobs, and were able to think quickly to solve complex problems on the fly. All this, without losing their cool - thanks in part, to the leadership of their teachers, Susan Morosoli (Jordan) and Karin Forssell (JLS), who both see the program as a benefit to students.

 “We start the day early and have a quick production meeting, completely student run," Susan told me. "Everyone has a job for the studio and control room as well. They gain real world experience, independence, hands on project-based learning, and the ability to work tightly with a group of approximately 25 students.”

I worked with Jordan when they visited the Media Center to do their show from our studio, and was very impressed with how quickly they adapted to the new setting.

Karin echoed thoughts on the self-reliance the students get from the experience. “When something goes wrong, a thousand people are watching," she said, "so there are a lot of lessons to learn about paying attention to details, but also about being resilient after making mistakes.”

Wes Rapaport, now a broadcasting student at Chapman University, reflects positively on his experience with broadcasting at JLS. “Middle school broadcast is where I got my start in media... Being part of a group taught me how to share my visions for the final product with others and take their input as well. “

If your child missed the chance to be a part of one of these classes, or would like to prepare for one coming up, summer camps at the Media Center are a great way to give them hands-on experience in TV production.

In our “Best in the Nation” Studio, they’ll learn all the roles on a set, and have fun creating their own shows. Registration is open now on our Summer Programs Page. We will be hosting an on Jan 25th.

Until then, you can catch the morning announcements from schools in the area every morning on our channels. Check our Program Page for a full schedule.