TV Santa Barbara’s yCREATE program gives youth ages 10-18 a hands-on opportunity to learn about video production, including skills and techniques involving basic animation, script writing, video editing and sound design. “They will be learning about how media is created,” TV Santa Barbara executive director Matt Schuster says. (TV Santa Barbara photo)

yCREATE, a new innovative after-school media program, provides local youth with hands-on, real-time experience in broadcasting and media production.

Youth and teens ages 10 to 18 will gain invaluable experience into the world of video production, including learning about a number of techniques and skills, such as basic animation, script writing, video editing, sound design and more.






Essentially, “they will be learning about how media is created,” said Matt Schuster, executive director at TV Santa Barbara.

“It takes them from being just a consumer of messages to showing them how different messages are shaped,” he said.

The program was a collaboration between TV Santa Barbara and other community partnerships to expand its Teen News Network into both an after-school and Saturday morning program.

Although the after-school yCREATE program might be new, the organization has been doing youth programs in partnership with other community nonprofit organizations for almost a decade.

Throughout the quarter, students will have an opportunity to create their very own short or documentary-style film with the help of the experienced crew at TV Santa Barbara, whose studio is located at 329 S. Salinas St. on the Lower Eastsisde.

Students in the yCREATE program will be creating short films and video documentaries that will be screened at a community-wide event later this year.

Students in the yCREATE program will be creating short films and video documentaries that will be screened at a community-wide event later this year. (TV Santa Barbara photo)

During the after-school sessions, students will be encouraged to create a video documentary or news packet for Teen News Network, while the Saturday morning classes will be focused on creating short films.

Not only will the students be learning highly valued media production skills, but they will be learning “workplace skills that they can apply to any career down the road,” Schuster said.

Using the skills taught in each session, students will create and produce their very own short film, which will be aired on TV Santa Barbara at a later date and premiere at a community screening event in December.

Students and their families will have the amazing opportunity to watch their creations live on a big screen at the screening event toward the end of the semester.  The event, which will be open to the public, will be hosted in partnership with Girls Incorporated of Greater Santa Barbara, Boys & Girls Club of Santa Barbara and The Arts Fund Santa Barbara.

Click here for more information about yCREATE at TV Santa Barbara, or call 805.571.1721.