El Paso-based Nonprofit Media Outlet Partners with Nexstar to Help Teens' Mental Health

EL PASO, Texas, July 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Say What?!, a local digital platform dedicated to developing inspiring and factual news content for teens, has partnered with national media company Nexstar Media Group, Inc. to provide its programming for youth across the border region and throughout Texas with aspirations to expand nationally.

The teen-based news program was developed by the STTE (Success Through Technology Education) Foundation and launched online in August 2020 during the pandemic. The platform and its various segments feature news related to education, innovation, tech, entrepreneurship, culture, and other topics that are of interest to youth.

More importantly, it also follows a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) format that's reflective of a process where youth learn to better understand their emotions in order to make positive and responsible decisions. It's especially crucial today as CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) data has revealed concerning details regarding youth, depression, and suicide. This includes 34% of Texas high school students reporting feelings of sadness or hopelessness on a daily basis and 12% attempting suicide.

"We started noticing a rise in conspiracy theorists and fake news overwhelming teens. Along with COVID-19 effects and increases in screen-time, stumbling upon sources of positive news specific for teens was difficult. Unfortunately, we know it will only get more complicated educating teens with advances in technologies like AI and deepfake. We wanted to combat this issue by building a news outlet with factual, positive futuristic news that excites and provides ease of mind to teens," said Joseph Sapien, STTE Executive Director.

Say What?! can be accessed via the SayWhat.TV website, its dedicated YouTube channel and now on KTSM-TV Channel 9 as well as its various digital and social media platforms, as part of its partnership with Nexstar Media Group, Inc.

The STTE Foundation would like to partner with school districts to provide SayWhat?!, its SEL-based programming, and instructional materials for educators as a part of their educational-based efforts. Visit SayWhat.TV to learn more about the program and STTEFoundation.org for more information about the organization as well as other supporting organizations such as CREEED (Council on Regional Economic Expansion and Educational Development).

If you are interested in having SayWhat?! played in your school district, please contact STTE at [email protected] or call Joseph Sapien at (915) 240-5571.

About STTE Foundation
Founded in 2018, STTE (Success Through Technology Education) Foundation is a non-profit organization located in El Paso, Texas that is committed to enhancing the regional economy via educational programs as well as maximizing meaningful partnerships and embracing family support mechanisms for the next twenty years in an effort to help the Borderplex region compete on a global scale.

SOURCE CultureSpan Marketing