Anne Arundel Public Schools reboots student-led show ‘Teen Talk’

, A student-led TV show that rebooted last fall after a 15-year absence, will air its last episode of the school year next month. But it will be back next fall with a new host and new school-related topics.

The show, “Teen Talk,” was established in 2007 but only ran for one year. It wasn’t until May 2022 when Stacy Pellegrin, the manager for student leadership for the school system, was approached by Steve Grey, the school system’s senior design specialist, who suggested rebooting the show.

Pellegrin immediately agreed, she said, because the student perspective had changed dramatically since the first program was aire 15 years ago. Pellegrin already had a host in mind whom she knew would thrive on camera: Camryn Chehreh, a senior at Crofton High School.

“Camryn was just a natural fit,” Pellegrin said. “She is bubbly and outgoing and had prior experience of being able to talk with different groups of people through her position as the outreach coordinator for the Chesapeake Regional Association of Student Councils.”

Chehreh has been involved with the student council organization in Anne Arundel County since middle school. In 2021, she became the outreach coordinator.

“After several weeks of consideration, I thought ‘Why not?’ I decided this was something I would really want to do. I have a little bit of experience in journalism, but never TV,” she said.

Chehreh attended a few meetings to plan the show’s launch. She met with students from Center of Applied Technology-South’s arts, media and communications program to discuss ideas and later approved the best ones to be featured for the reccurring visuals that are in the show. She also was involved with approving the ‘Teen Talk’ logo, which is a pink chat bubble with ‘Teen Talk’ written inside.

Chehreh wrote her own scripts for each episode. She worked with Taylor Thomas, the show’s director, to draft episode plans and was also responsible for gathering student voices that play during the break in the main interview.

“This is a space for students, by students, and I can’t wait to share it with you,” Chehreh says in last fall’s first episode.

Chehreh said it helped that she knew many of the students featured in the program, including student government members and those who are part of after-school clubs.

“I was able to approach them to say, ‘Hey, this is our topic for the month. I know you have some sort of experience with this. Would you be willing to come speak to us?’,” she said.

Episodes aired on the first Wednesday of the month on Anne Arundel Public Schools TV and YouTube. Topics ranged from equity and inclusion, the college experience, and interviews with school officials like Superintendent Mark Bedell and past school board members.

Chehreh is also the opinion editor for The Cardinals Nest, Crofton High’s student-led newspaper. She said the major difference between her work at the newspaper and “Teen Talk” is the shift from a localized audience, like Crofton High, to a larger, countywide audience.

“On the broadcast side I’m working a lot more with adults and we’re working with a larger audience, but at the same time, it feels almost more limited because we can only get who we can get. There have been times [where] we’re reaching out to [a] school and maybe they don’t reply back,” she said. “So, then we’re kind of limited like, ‘OK, well, now we can’t hear from this school. We can’t represent the school because we’ve tried to reach out to them and they’re not responding.’ Whereas working in my own building, kids are a little more receptive because they’re like, ‘Yeah, I know you from the newspaper.’”

Teen Talk crew from left, Taylor Thomas, director, Erik Cloyd television broadcast manager and co-producer, Stacy Pelllegrin, manager for student leadership and co-produce, Camryn Chehreh, 18, senior Crofton High School and host. Camryn Chehreh, the first host of Teen Talk since 2007, on Anne Arundel County TV, sits down with The Capital to talk about the shows revival. (Paul W. Gillespie/Capital Gazette)

In a February episode of “Teen Talk,” Chehreh interviewed Anthony Arend, an Arundel High School alumnus and former student member of the Board of Education. Arend discussed his experience as the second student board member in 1975 when he advocated for legislation that passed the General Assembly that secured full voting rights for student board members. .

“It is amazing getting to talk to people like Dr. Bedell and Dr. Arend. I mean, they are incredible, and I absolutely look up to them as role models. ... But the students are where it counts. That’s what we’re here for and getting to talk to them is my favorite part,” Chehreh said.

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Over the course of her high school career, the Crofton resident has tried to involve herself in many organizations and clubs. She sat on the Crofton High School principal’s advisory committee, the teen mental health advisory council at the Board of Education and recently participated in an internship for Anne Arundel Del. Andrew Pruski for the 2023 legislative session.

Chehreh will be attending Louisiana State University in the fall with plans to major in mass communications.

Pellegrin said she hopes to get more students involved in the production process for “Teen Talk,” whether it’s videography or postproduction design.

“I think moving forward as we’re getting more accustomed to working with a student to produce a show, I could certainly see there being opportunities for students to take part in,” she said. “I know Dr. Bedell really wants to increase internship opportunities through the school system for our students.”

“Teen Talk” will air its final episode of the year on June 7 at 9 p.m. During that broadcast, Chehreh will introduce the show’s new host .