Amador County – Amador County’s Teen Zone Live television show returned from a 5-year hiatus this year and wrapped a successful season with the help of dozens of local youths. The adults involved in Teen Zone Live (TZL) were far outnumbered by the kids, but they helped teach the older teens who were mentoring younger teens. Lori Halvorson of the local Mentoring Works! Program said that 42 kids helped produce and host the television variety show, while others appeared as interview subjects to talk about their successes in school and extracurricular activities. Halvorson said about 60 children total were involved in the 2010 version of Teen Zone Live, which began in 2000 on the Tom Slivick Production Network (Comcast Channel 7, Volcano Vision Channel 5, and www.tspntv.com). TSPN’s Teen Zone Live ran 5 seasons, before the hiatus. TSPN Vice President and cofounder Sue Slivick recruited Halvorson and her Mentoring Works! Program, through the Amador Tuolumne Community Action Agency, to bring back the show. Show hosts changed each episode and throughout show segments – a change from TZL’s original format. Halvorson said she “wanted more kids to get the opportunity to have the leadership positions.” She said it worked. Halvorson said the success showed in those 2 months. She said: “I just think the high school kids did an exemplary job of being positive role models for the junior high kids, and I was really amazed at the growth I saw in some of the younger kids’ self esteem and self image and their ability to present themselves in front of a live audience.” The junior high kids went from literally being “behind the scenes,” operating TV cameras in earlier episodes, “to being the main hosts” of a later episode. “It made them realize what they had to do to be prepared,” Halvorson said, and the kids were versatile too, as some would host one show, then be camera people the next. “They were all willing to pitch in to do what needed to be done to make sure that the show happened.” TZL youths from Amador and Argonaut High Schools and Ione and Jackson Junior High Schools helped create 10 episodes, starting March 29th and airing live on Monday nights through May 24th. Each TZL repeated 16 times through the week. Summer school break ended the season, and Halvorson and TSPN plan to bring the fall version of Teen Zone Live when school resumes in September. Major sponsor of TZL was the Jackson Rancheria Casino, Hotel & Conference Center; and Roundtable Pizza. To learn about TZL or adult-child mentoring, call Halvorson at 223-1485 ext. 242 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. -
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Amador County – Amador County’s Teen Zone Live television show returned from a 5-year hiatus this year and wrapped a successful season with the help of dozens of local youths. The adults involved in Teen Zone Live (TZL) were far outnumbered by the kids, but they helped teach the older teens who were mentoring younger teens. Lori Halvorson of the local Mentoring Works! Program said that 42 kids helped produce and host the television variety show, while others appeared as interview subjects to talk about their successes in school and extracurricular activities. Halvorson said about 60 children total were involved in the 2010 version of Teen Zone Live, which began in 2000 on the Tom Slivick Production Network (Comcast Channel 7, Volcano Vision Channel 5, and www.tspntv.com). TSPN’s Teen Zone Live ran 5 seasons, before the hiatus. TSPN Vice President and cofounder Sue Slivick recruited Halvorson and her Mentoring Works! Program, through the Amador Tuolumne Community Action Agency, to bring back the show. Show hosts changed each episode and throughout show segments – a change from TZL’s original format. Halvorson said she “wanted more kids to get the opportunity to have the leadership positions.” She said it worked. Halvorson said the success showed in those 2 months. She said: “I just think the high school kids did an exemplary job of being positive role models for the junior high kids, and I was really amazed at the growth I saw in some of the younger kids’ self esteem and self image and their ability to present themselves in front of a live audience.” The junior high kids went from literally being “behind the scenes,” operating TV cameras in earlier episodes, “to being the main hosts” of a later episode. “It made them realize what they had to do to be prepared,” Halvorson said, and the kids were versatile too, as some would host one show, then be camera people the next. “They were all willing to pitch in to do what needed to be done to make sure that the show happened.” TZL youths from Amador and Argonaut High Schools and Ione and Jackson Junior High Schools helped create 10 episodes, starting March 29th and airing live on Monday nights through May 24th. Each TZL repeated 16 times through the week. Summer school break ended the season, and Halvorson and TSPN plan to bring the fall version of Teen Zone Live when school resumes in September. Major sponsor of TZL was the Jackson Rancheria Casino, Hotel & Conference Center; and Roundtable Pizza. To learn about TZL or adult-child mentoring, call Halvorson at 223-1485 ext. 242 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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