Lubbock ISD TV students traveled to multiple college and professional facilities to learn production techniques and explore postsecondary media programs.

Monterey senior Aubrey Noble and other students described visits to Capernaum Studios (Poolville), the Big 12 Network, KWTX, Baylor University’s Film and Digital Media department, and Abilene Christian University’s ACUTV. Students saw LED-wall virtual production, control rooms, studio workflows and live newscast production.

Students and advisers said the tours helped them see career pathways in film, television and broadcast, strengthen their portfolio work, and prepare for competitions. One student reported that seeing professional control rooms and college programs expanded their sense of where media studies could lead.

Student productions and competitions
The broadcast included packages produced by in-class teams that covered short films (horror pieces for the Student Television Network Horror Fest), commercials and public-service announcements. Students described the production process — preproduction scripting, on-location filming, and editing in Adobe Premiere Pro — and said the hands-on experience improved their storytelling and technical skills.

Monterey and district AV staff also highlighted national competition success: a district team won the SkillsUSA national title in video game design, and other students advanced in categories such as extemporaneous speaking and audio/video production.

Why it matters
Student tours of college facilities and exposure to professional workflows are used by district staff and students to demystify career paths in media and expand scholarship and internship prospects. Teachers and students said the experiences also reinforce the creative and technical skills that employers and higher-education programs seek.