March 6, 2026 | Kelly Youngblood
An open, hands-on media studio for local high school students will launch this spring that encourages critical thinking, media literacy, and community engagement.
Angela Aguayo, associate professor of media and cinema studies, created the Content Creation Lab to help young teens acquire media production skills. The pilot program, which will be held in new podcasting studios at Illinois Public Media, was awarded a grant from the College of Media and is supported by the Illinois Community Media Project.
The first Content Creation Lab workshop will kick off this spring on Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., on April 4, 11, and 25. There is no fee for students to participate.
Aguayo said the program will offer a space for teens to try out new ideas, collaborate, self-direct, and articulate their own perspective on the world through media production.
“My biggest hope is that local youth can see the College of Media and the Content Creation Lab as a resource hub and a space for exploration, that we are a location where students can come decide if they’re interested in developing lives as media makers, creators, and thinkers,” said Aguayo.
This spring, the Lab will focus on media literacy, audio production, storytelling, and podcasting. In Fall 2026, instruction in video production and short-form storytelling will also be taught.
Aguayo has been training a team of undergraduate and graduate students who will help facilitate the open studio lab, guiding participants to develop their own projects through a practice of media literacy and encouraging them to direct their curiosity toward the local community as a place of discovery. The student-led team includes journalism major Leonor Carrillo; Earth, society, and environmental sustainability major Angela Conde; and Institute of Communications Research doctoral students Tom Farrenkopf and Gillian Paxton. Carrie Wilson-Brown, senior lecturer of media and cinema studies and of advertising, will also help oversee the project.
There’s a barrier to students trying media production, and the idea of the Lab is to lower that barrier so that students who might want to pursue media—either as a hobby or as a profession or as a pathway of study—can do so without having it cost anything.
Angela Aguayo
Associate Professor of Media and Cinema Studies, Creator of Content Creation Lab“We’re going to lead students through the process of thinking about the things that concern them the most, the questions that they have about their world and their local community, and where those stories show up,” Aguayo said.
High schoolers will also be able to experiment with audio and video tools to learn more about recording and editing, an invaluable opportunity for local teens who may not have access to production equipment or facilities. The Lab’s partnership with Illinois Public Media will provide an opportunity for young people to work in a professional media facility and acquire mentorship from experts there.
“There’s a barrier to students trying media production, and the idea of the Lab is to lower that barrier so that students who might want to pursue media—either as a hobby or as a profession or as a pathway of study—can do so without having it cost anything,” Aguayo said.
In addition to providing instruction and hands on experience with media tools, Aguayo would like to see the Content Creation Lab function as a space for continued research on the evolving pedagogical approaches to youth media production.
While some students may end up with a finished product, Aguayo envisions the Content Creation Lab as a creative space for development.
“The Lab is not outcome-focused, it’s process-focused. What we’re really doing is [determining] how we can help students understand that media production is a productive way to contribute to their community.”
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