Congratulations TeenTigerTV Team Bella, Nick & Andrew Behind-The-Scenes C-SPAN StudentCam2026 winners. Check out their Vlog & video essay ‘Consent of the Governed’ here and the in-depth interview with 12th U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona here. Podcast version here.

Congratulations TeenTigerTV Team Member Isabella Sandra Day O’Connor Institute Youth Civics Challenge winner. Check out her 2-minute video essay ‘Evolutionary History Asks Something of Us: Consent’ here.

Gen Storytellers since 2015: A decade of community Impact continues. #TeenTigerTV honored with Rika Welch Community Impact Award. Full story here.

WHO: Designed for young people (ages 14-23) curious about media production or advocacy.

WHAT: Achieve current goals on a pathway to future successes using story & new technology as you learn workplace skills.

WHY: Because discovering your voice and community stories always matters.

WHEN & HOW: Flexible, see details below.

Youth-led U decide how U can make a commUnity impact.

New in 2025: Join the Journey: Fall, Winter & Spring

Explore media making with other youth interested in technology and arts as you develop transferable business skills. TeenTigerTV continues Monday evenings under the leadership of Tim Lopez. Tim knows first-hand how what the TeenTigerTV experience means. He started as a participant in the summer of 2022. He is currently in college expanding his media studies skills.

2025-26 Plans: Expand the Contributed Media ‘From Where You Are Project’ and participate in Video Contest. Join Us during SPRING Break.

Community Partnership Make #TeenTigerTV Possible: Unity begins with ‘U’

We are deeply grateful to receive funding support from youth-oriented foundations: Ulbrich Family Foundation community and Scare Crew of Trail of Terror. Unexpected 2025 grants demonstrate the strong community commitment to youth development and media literacy in Wallingford. This youth media program would have never been possible without the support in formative years from the James H Napier Foundation and the GrassRoots Fund. The town’s Youth Services Dept. helped navigate the process which extended two mentorship opportunities to youth in the summer program.

About Tim Lopez and #TeentigerTV

Several summers ago, Tim Lopez began as a participant. He loves being creative with food and had no expectations of finding a deep interest in video production. He is now enrolled in Middlesex Community College Media Certificate Program. As Youth-Leader, Tim succeeded Ben Negron, now a WPAA-TV Board Member.

This past summer, Tim worked alongside Story Coach and Artistic Director Josiah Houston with a dozen new media makers. They explored interviewing with The Meet, script writing (Penny’s Playhouse), Advocacy (PSA), camera & video production (Piecing Democracy Together) after learning basic skills within the 6000 Books Initiative. Our youth bring culturally diverse books to life with audio-video production. Content is shared as part of TV Storytime, 4:30 pm Monday through Saturday. All content is added to the Youth Media Playlist here.

TeenTigerTV is free, flexible, and tailored to participants’ interests in media-skills development.

Our annual six-week summer program begins mid-July. Summers are full of other things, like family vacations, so we are flexible. 2026 Dates: July 13 through August 19th. Orientation will be July 7th. Time to be confirmed.

Who can come: We offer training and support for all high school-age youth in Wallingford. Youth from neighboring communities can participate, if we are not a capacity. Sometimes we feed you. Our coaches are experienced writers and filmmakers.

Teams explore a variety of media formats related to graphics, storytelling, TV, and film. These skills will prepare you for life or upcoming video festivals.

If you applied to Workforce Alliance Summer Employment through Wallingford Youth & Social Service we are a host site. If funding is available, you can be paid to participate in this OJT program. Participants can earn High School Community Service Credit.

Summer Program for youth

Mon-Tues-Wed Each day starts at 1 pm. We have learned from past years that this start time works best.

Tuesdays include dinner and studioW Make TV activities. They go until 8:30

Those joining us through Youth & Social Services Summer work program will have opportunities to work 15 hours each week. Others have potential for 60 hrs High School Community Service.

Are you going to be a Freshman in September? You can complete your community service before high school and be better prepared for school.

What have #TeenTigerTV participants created besides their logo? Youth-made media linked below.

Among the recognitions: TeenTigerTV receives Rika Welsh Community Impact Award – Alliance For Community Media North East (2025).

In the News & Blog Updates:

Is That What You See (April 2026) In This Place Reflection

The 988 PSA Experience (March 2026) When Youth Speak, Do We Listen?

When Youth Meet the Master (Feb 2026) More Than Magic

We Won – Community Impact Award  (Nov 2025) Nominated 

TeenTigerTV Leadership Funded For the Fall & Winter. This extension of #TeentigerTV demonstrates the power of community partnerships in supporting youth development and media literacy. (Sept 2025)

News Crew (Aug 2023) Community Opportunity

Wear the Paw (July 2023) Archive.org

Becoming TeenTigerTV (Sept 2022) Youth participants carve out their identity as youth voices.

PRESS RELEASE Teen Tiger TV at WPAA-TV Award-Winning Youth-led program  

High School Community Service, and the creation of a youth drop-in room, are how Ben Negron discovered WPAA-TV a few years ago. Preparing the audio recording room with friends evolved into shepherding the creation of the freshly branded program for local youth: Teen Tiger TV and much more. With newly acquired skills, Ben edited the Enormity Pictures production of the puppet film, The SuperHero Within, premiering as part of the upcoming Community Media Day celebrations at WPAA-TV. Ben has also been recognized in two national film festivals for his music video When I Speak Freely.

On Sept 21st, Ben was joined by family and friends for the Democracy 2022 Civic Life Project Film Challenge Watch Party at WPAA-TV. Together they cheered the announcement that Ben won 1st place in the Social Media category, which comes with a $2,500 check. When interviewed by the hosts, Ben admitted to not being all about ‘advocacy’ until he realized he could represent people like himself. Writing the song When I Speak Freely changed his attitude about his songwriting. And, WPAA-TV provided the opportunity to turn his passion into more than a pastime. The film challenge winner, Molly E Smith’s Dear America also set the bar for what is possible with youth media for all the youth in attendance, including Freddie and Tim Lopez. The Lopez brothers fill out the Teen Tiger TV leadership crew.

When I Speak Freely, Dear America, and the Teen Tiger TV summer 2022 crew’s very own, It Is Never Too Late 988 PSA will be among the videos shared and discussed at the upcoming Youth Media Maker Mingles. And for serious fun, the video favorite from the summer program produced by the United Nations Don’t Choose Extinction will give everyone something to think about as they discover how to become storytellers with a message.

Youth Media Maker Mingles kicks off on Oct 10th from 1-4 PM at WPAA-TV.

Participants will learn as they produce voice-overs and animate children’s books published by the United Nations. Once they are familiar with some of what is possible at a community TV station, they will decide what they want to give voice to individually or collectively.

Drop-in hours are designated for middle school and high school. In addition, three all-ages events are planned including an “Are Ghosts Real?” conversation with Joe Franke. Sunday, Oct 30th from 7-9 PM. The full Media Makers Mingle schedule is available online at wpaa.tv/teentigertv/

Ben, successfully navigated the Grass Roots Youth Leadership Funding process for a summer grant to employ Youth Leaders. He also helped secure a year-long grant from James H Napier Foundation to explore what is, and is NOT, possible in support of youth media-makers in Wallingford.

The Teen Tiger TV crew will be co-hosting WPAA-TV’s Community Media Day on Saturday, October 15th from Noon to 5 pm. This Open House event is a great way for the whole family to explore how WPAA-TV is more than TV. 

The SuperHero Within film created in collaboration with the puppet show creator Anatar Marmol-Gagné will premiere on WPAA-TV as part of the Community Media Day experience at noon. The 13 ½ minute film will replay at 9 pm. For more information about the film, or how to bring it to your school or organization as a film or puppet show, send an inquiry to superherowithinfilm@wpaa.tv  

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https://youtu.be/7ni3fSjhPy8