Community Tv Network

Specialties

Community TV Network (CTVN), a leader in community access to digital media arts, empowers low-​income young adults and children in Chicago to identify, confront, and resolve issues through the use and understanding of digital media arts. CTVN gives its students the awareness, motivation, and tools necessary to create a positive future for themselves and their neighborhoods.

For 50 weeks per year, CTVN provides free in-​school, after-​school, and summer youth employment programs for more than 720 youth – and last year we exceeded 820 youth! Programs include paid apprenticeships, internships, on-​location job training with professional filmmakers, summer employment, service-​learning, and volunteer opportunities.

Our hands-​on, interdisciplinary arts curricula teach media literacy, as well as professional pre-​production, production, and post-​production video and storytelling techniques.

History

Established in 1974.

Since 1974, Community TV Network (CTVN) has been using media as an educational tool to improve the education, quality of life, and opportunities available to underserved youth in Chicago. Executive Director Denise Zaccardi originally created CTVN as a special project of the Alternative Schools Network and, in 1980, CTVN incorporated as an independent tax-​exempt nonprofit organization.

Our programs have won awards nationwide and increased students’ media literacy through our groundbreaking in-​school, after-​school, and summer programs. Our entirely student-​produced cable television show, «Hard Cover: the Voices and Visions of Chicago’s Youth» is the longest-​running youth produced television show in the country and has been on air for over twenty-​six years.

Over 10,000 of Chicago’s at-​risk youth have participated in CTVN’s media literacy and digital media production programs.

Meet the Business Owner

Denise Z.

Business Owner

Denise Zaccardi is the founder of CTVN. She holds a Ph.D. in Communications from The Union Institute. She wrote the nation’s first dissertation on media arts curriculum for low-​income, minority youth development. She earned an M.S. in Early Childhood Education from State College in Buffalo, NY, and a BA in Psychology from the University of Dayton. She has participated as a media and education activist with a variety of local and national organizations. Dr. Zaccardi has received numerous awards For her contributions to the field, including the Christian Service Award from the University of Dayton, and the Service Recognition Award for Arts Educator from the Illinois Alliance for Arts Ed.