July 2026 Newsletter
El Raton Media Works chosen as an 2026 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
We are thrilled to announce that we have been selected to receive a 2026 AARP Community Challenge grant. This year, only 750 grantees were chosen from 5,100 applications from across all 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
With this quick-action grant, we will be working with the Raton Senior Center to host 26 weekly in-person technology help sessions to provide hands-on digital assistance, host 3 scam prevention and digital safety mini-workshops, and create 10 technology videos based on the project. This project will advance our efforts to make Raton a place where people of all ages can thrive.
Join us at the Senior Center on Thursdays at 1pm to 3pm for free assistance and training for Raton residents over 50!
“We are incredibly proud that AARP selected El Raton Media Works for this investment to help make Raton more livable for residents of all ages,” stated Ann Theis. “AARP is a national leader in supporting communities to become more livable, and we are honored they recognize the value and impact this project will bring to our area.”
Recap: Film & Media Camp
A Wrap on "Storytelling Through the Lens"
We just wrapped up our very first Storytelling Through the Lens summer film and media camp, and wow—our participants absolutely blew us away!
Brought to life thanks to the NEA Big Read grant program through the Arthur Johnson Memorial Library (AJML), this camp challenged local creators to draw inspiration from the human-animal interactions in the book Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law. In a remarkably short amount of time, participants went from story generation to final edits, diving into everything from documentaries and oral histories to narrative filmmaking.
The final films were the absolute highlight of the event, showcasing incredible dedication, creativity, and vision. We are so proud of what these filmmakers accomplished!
The students did incredible work in 10 half-day classes. We thank them for their dedication in completing their projects and we can't wait to see what they make next!
The films created for the project include:
ERMW STEAM "Be Careful Around Animals" PSA by Youth Heartline Summer of Play Camp
Vermejo Remembers by Leonore Barfield
Skunk Terrorist by Tracy Wahl & Madilynn Ryan
Bird Song by Devinnie Lynch
Watermelon Thief by Francisco Miguel Flores, Micah Wheeler, and Lennon Eli Ray Gomez
Coyote and the Salmon Sisters by Debora Iyall, Cindy Hansen, and Hezekiah Saldana
Check out the full compilation on the YouTube Playlist.
We Need Volunteers! Sign up and help bring film & media to Raton.
