Every creative act is, in some way, a reflection on our world. No matter how fantastic a piece of science fiction or dreamy a painting, everything we create says something about our lives, our experiences and our societies.  

The Teen Media Awards offers a panoramic view of the insightful ways that teenagers interpret this present age. Through photographs, the written word and even homemade video games, their projects make statements: This is beauty; This is injustice; This is home. Pieced together, these statements give us a collective sense of what’s going on.  

We come together during the Teen Media Awards to celebrate everyone who submitted work to two contests: The Ralph Munn Creative Writing Contest and the Labsy Awards. Aside from the expected thrill of meeting the judges and maybe even coming on stage, the Teen Media Awards are a chance to connect. In a room filled with so many creative, talented minds, it’s almost inevitable that collaborations fueled by mutual inspiration will bloom.  

If you’re interested in seeing all the fantastic work on display, check out the CLP Teenspace Instagram throughout the month of August. The youth are speaking, and it’s a very good idea to listen.  

Sienna Cittadino is a Teen Librarian at CLP – Allegheny. Aside from vacuuming up pet hair, Sienna can be found wherever there is soft serve ice cream or geography trivia.