Somerville Community Access Television
Website:
http://access-scat.org/ Location:
Somerville, MA
Somerville Community Access Television is a leading public access media center that enables a vibrant and diverse community to express its creativity, explain its ideas, share its cultures, and foster the individual’s right to freedom of speech. SCAT supports and creates community-driven media through education, production resources, and distribution on cable television and the Web.
Supported Projects
Outreach and Web Development Specialist
Christy Park
1/2005 — 1/2006
The VISTA worker at SCAT would spearhead the effort to more fully integrate web-based services into SCAT’s operations. For example, we would like to provide an interactive program schedule on the Website, and provide producers with the option to archive their programs on our website to allow for video-on-demand. The VISTA would also help us transition to wireless connections for all our office computers.
The VISTA would work with local non-profit organizations on outreach projects, both in video and on the Web. The VISTA would train staff and members in video and web design skills.
Christy helped out with programing, including a monthly show called Talking About Somerville. She set up the lighting and manned (womanned) a camera and then edited the peice together putting titles and credits and music to it.
Christy attends local events around Boston interviewing and filming the community. She is currently working with one of our interns to start a show about the “issues” facing artists in somerville. She is hoping that anything from the cost of studio space to art education in public schools will be addressed. She has met with the host of another art show we do at SCAT to discuss the format of the show.
Christy is also teaching digital media courses to youth including a class on audio recording and garage band and a program called “Say Media!” where youth create music videos, PSAs, and documentaries.
Christy told us, “I have really enjoyed working with all of them. Some of them have really gotten into their projects and will stay several hours after the camp is through to finish up. they are pretty motivated (they should be, they get paid more than i do to teach, just to show up :) and they are producing some really neat youth media that will appear on our station.”
Computer Programs Implementation Coordinator
Barbara Gavoni
8/2001 — 8/2002
Our goal is to move SCAT into the digital age without leaving behind anyone in the Somerville communities SCAT has been serving for over 25 years: at-risk youth, immigrant communities, low- and middle-income people and organizations who feel ignored by the “mainstream” media, and seniors looking for a way to make their voices and concerns heard.
VISTA responsibilities include
Planning and policy work:
Research how other public access stations have “crossed the digital divide” and implemented computer center programs, as well as programs related to the new digital video technologies, make recommendations to SCAT staff and Board of Directors, and help implement the plan, which would include the purchase of some equipment.
Outreach:
Collaboration on the development of messages and programming for the public access channel aimed at making people aware of the new resources and programs at SCAT; development of printed outreach material; personal outreach work, such as visiting service agencies, youth groups, community associations, etc., with a translator when necessary
Training Program:
Design and implementation of a creative program of training on the computer stations, especially related to the Internet and to the multimedia possibilities offered by the world wide web; collaboration with SCAT staff who work with the non-linear editing system in the design and implementation of new multimedia training courses; design and implementation of an advanced training program related to web site design, video streaming, etc.
Program Outreach and Development
Elizabeth Cavano
10/2000 — 10/2001
SCAT currently has two computer stations that will soon be linked to the Internet, and will be dedicated solely to community members, and we hope to have a high speed cable modem connection soon. The VISTA volunteer’s work would revolve around helping move SCAT into the “digital age” without leaving behind anyone in the Somerville communities SCAT has been serving for over 25 years: at risk youth, immigrant communities, low- and middle-income people, and organizations who feel ignored by the “mainstream” media, and seniors looking for a way to make their voices and concerns heard. The concrete activities would include but not be limited to the following:
Planning and policy work: Research how other public access stations have “crossed the digital divide” and implemented computer center programs, as well as programs related to the new digital video technologies. Make recommendations to SCAT staff and Board of Directors, and help implement the plan, which would include the purchase of some equipment.
Outreach: Collaboration on the development of messages and programming for the public access channel aimed at making people aware of the new resources and programs at SCAT; development of printed outreach material personal outreach work, such as visiting service agencies, youth groups, community associations, etc., with a translator where necessary.
Training programs: Design and implementation of a creative program of training on the computer stations, especially related to the internet and to the multimedia possibilities offered by the WWW; collaboration with SCAT staff who work with the non-linear editing system in the design and implementation of new multimedia training courses design and implementation of an advanced training program related to web site design, video streaming, etc.
Impact: It is hoped that this new facet of SCAT’s work will have many different impacts for low-income youth and adults, from both the English-speaking, and the non-English -speaking communities, including but not limited to: concrete, career-related training, increased accessing of the resources available through the internet; a dynamic new addition to SCAT television programming; the development of a dynamic multimedia program, where teh assets and opportunities of public access television and the internet are combined and made accessible to all.
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