TeenTix Newsroom

What is the TeenTix Newsroom?

The TeenTix Newsroom is a group of teen writers led by the Teen Editorial Staff. The Newsroom operates in line with the school-year schedule and runs continuously from September to June. Newsroom writers review events at TeenTix Arts Partners for the TeenTix blog - and GET PAID FOR THEIR WRITING! Made for teens to connect with other like-minded youth and write about art, the TeenTix Newsroom is a place for teen arts lovers to practice their writing skills. Along with a teen editor, who edits their work, teens attend an arts event for free. Afterward, they write a review that will be published on the TeenTix blog! For each review, writers work individually with an editor on the Teen Editorial Staff to polish their writing for publication.

Participation requires that you commit to reviewing at least one art event throughout the school year. Selecting which event you’ll review is a flexible commitment.

There are usually 30-40 teens in the Newsroom each year, ages 13 - 19, spanning grades 8 through early college students. As long as you are a teen, you can participate!

The Newsroom is all about:

YOUTH EMPOWERMENT

The Newsroom is a place where teens are encouraged and empowered to share their opinions and perspectives. We want to hear what you think about the art you see and the experiences you have in the arts community. Not only do teens share their honest opinions in the Newsroom, TeenTix values their time and efforts by publishing their work and PAYING TEENS for their writing.

HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE

TeenTix New writers get hands-on experience as arts reviewers. They receive free press tickets to the events they review and go through a thorough editing process with the Teen Editorial Staff to ready their work for publication. Newsroom writers also have the opportunity to publish work at our Media Partners such as Encore and The Seattle Times. In quarterly meetings writers and editors discuss many facets of arts criticism like how to balance evaluation and interpretation in a review, representation in arts writing, and the use of snark.

TEEN LEADERSHIP

The Newsroom is led by the Teen Editorial Staff (TEDS) - a group of skilled editors who are trained to support their peers through the writing process. A Teen Program Coordinator also serves as the regular (adult) program lead, and depending on their work with various projects, teens will have additional mentorship and guidance from all TeenTix staff including our Executive Director and Teen Programs Director.

CENTERING YOUTH VOICES

Teens in all TeenTix programs are considered leaders at our organization. Teens are the heart and soul of TeenTix and keep the organization on-track with what young people actually need and want in the arts world. Our teen leaders are regularly invited to support TeenTix’s growth and development as an organization by participating in interviews for new TeenTix staff, sharing information with our executive leadership and Board of Directors, representing TeenTix at community panels and events, and building community across TeenTix programs. They participate in discussions about TeenTix’s success in engaging teen arts audiences, the development of TeenTix programs, and ways to further TeenTix’s reach.

Teen Editorial Staff

The Teen Editorial Staff (TEDS) is a group of teens who curate the review portion of the TeenTix blog. Teen Editorial Staff members decide which TeenTix Arts Partners' events to cover each month, write an editorial about their curatorial choices, and assign Newsroom writers to review each event. TEDS members interface with our Arts Partners to set up press tickets for each review, and edit all Newsroom writing before it is published on the TeenTix blog. The Teen Editorial Staff is a group of skilled writers, editors, and leaders, who keep the pulse of the TeenTix Press Corps and the Seattle arts scene.

To have an event considered by the Teen Editorial Staff to be reviewed, please send press releases, pitches, and requests to [email protected].

Meet the 2025/2026 Teen Editorial Staff!

Clara is a senior in high school, where she leads the newspaper and film club. In her free time, she does videography for local arts organizations and makes short films! She loves to read all sorts of books-- recent favorites are On Beauty by Zadie Smith and Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott!

Kylie is a passionate writer, musician, and artist in her sophomore year of high school. She is dedicated to mentoring TeenTix writers, helping them grow as people and journalists and to providing Seattle's teens with opportunities to explore the arts. She is remarkably curious and is always looking for a new food to try, skill to learn or book to read. Her family's love of history, language and travel has given her a worldly perspective on arts and cultures, which she pours into her creative projects.

Mariela recently graduated as a Running Start student. A life-long writer, she plans to major in English at a four-year university. This is her first year as a TED and her second year in the Newsroom. Storytelling is her greatest passion, and she strives to use her love of writing to inspire creativity and self-discovery in today’s youth. When she is not reading and writing, she enjoys spending her free time watching ballets and plays, baking, pampering her pooch, and going for walks in the forest.

Milo is a senior in high school, where he enjoys history, writing, and science. Outside of school, he has directed and produced seven short films of multiple genres over the past four years. He has served in many roles for theater productions in and outside of school, and three of his one-act plays have been performed since 2023. In 2025, he was part of the Seattle Symphony Young Composers' Workshop and attended the USC pre-college Filmmaking Intensive. He enjoys listening to music and watching movies.

Thien-Nhi is a current junior in high school. This is her second year in the Newsroom and is her first year in the Editorial Staff. Outside of TeenTix, Thien is very involved in her cultural community, organizing educational events and dances with her friends. She also has a passion for music, playing the piano and organ and enjoys photography.