Wilton, CT In recent years, our immediate and global communities have experienced the critical nature of technology. COVID-19 disrupted all our communal norms which led to the necessity of virtual participation. The Wilton Educational Television (referred to as WETV) at Wilton High School played an instrumental role in facilitating those virtual experiences. Friends and family members have been able to watch students perform in theater, music concerts, sports games and see their loved ones graduate despite being able to attend in person.
WETV began as the Wilton Education Film Cooperative under John Repicky in the early 2000’s. With the support of the Wilton Educational Foundation, WETV made its first investment in substantial equipment in 2014. Since then, WHS staff and Wilton Public School District administrators have dedicated time to applying for independent grants to acquire better equipment for the program. It is because of the continued pursuit for funding by these administrators that WETV was capable of handling the digital needs of an unforeseeable pandemic.
Joseph Eustace and Harrison Forland are the high school seniors that currently serve as WETV’s Executive Producers before they pass the baton in June. WETV is an entirely student run operation. The Warrior club is the entry point for students eager to work in WETV. With minimal formal oversight, these students have created over the years, an autonomous workplace that parallels the hierarchical structure of a professional studio. Inventory, scheduling, equipment maintenance, lighting, sound, filming, editing and additional postproduction is all within their purview.
Because of the responsibility of these students, their professional culture and the administrative support behind them, the Wilton community can still view: Board of Education meetings, WHS year-round sports games, music concerts, graduation and many other events through their streaming capabilities. WETV’s significant presence was catapulted by the pandemic but luckily their work, that reaches friends and family world-wide, is here to stay.
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