Teen Media Program
The Community Art Center, Inc.

The Teen Media Program (TMP) of the Community Art Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, believes that children should be seen and heard. This community-based after-school program gives young people who live in Washington Elms/Newtown Court public housing a rare opportunity to use videography, photography, and other arts media to enrich their lives and communicate with their community.

Since its founding in 1970, the Teen Media Program has served more than 1,000 students who have used their experience to launch careers as artists, architects, engineers, musicians, teachers, and community leaders. Young people are invited to join TMP at age 12, after participating in the School Age Child Care Program. TMP offers them a range of graduated workshops that provide opportunities for beginning to advanced training. Open workshops are also available to give students experience with an array of disciplines, from painting to scriptwriting, that will expand their video production abilities.

Key to applying the skills that they have learned is the "Do It Your Damn Self!" National Youth Video and Film Festival, the Community Art Center's signature project. TMP participants curate and host the Festival, which features 20 short videos chosen among 100 submissions from around the country. Advanced students receive a stipend to participate in Genuine Productions, a youth-managed video production business that develops projects for local companies and organizations.

The classes and projects of the Teen Media Program give young people a forum for critical and constructive dialogue a bout issues that are important in their lives. With a structure that allows them to learn at their own pace, TMP youth discover their unique talents and develop their distinctive voices. Dedicated professionals constantly guide the students, who form close relationships with the staff. Participants are able to drop by every day to complete homework, use the computers, and receive the support necessary to plan their academic futures. Many students consider TMP a "second home" and talk about how they "grew up" there.

The Teen Media Program gives youth state-of-the-art technological tools to voice their viewpoints and ideas and helps them to own their educational experiences. In this way, the program validates the students' potential and honors their contributions to their communities and the world.