VSA Texas on the Radio!

April Sullivan here to tell you about our exciting new internship opportunity. As I write this, I am listening to KOOP 91.7 FM. Have you listened to KOOP? It is a local community-run radio station here in Austin. You can listen to it at 91.7 on your radio or online at www.koop.org. We are currently working with KOOP on a radio internship program and are piloting our new project with intern Jorge Reyes.

Jorge in the studio with Greg and Tracey

on the Reflections of Community Outreach show

Jorge is an Austin Community College student in the RTF Department. He will graduate in December after this internship. Jorge approached us about doing his final internship project at VSA Texas, and we had the perfect role for him. Jorge is going through the KOOP Programmer training and helping us design our internship and collaboration with KOOP for people with disabilities.

So this semester, Jorge has been coming into the VSA Texas office on Mondays and Wednesdays. He works with ACC student Julie Retersdorf on researching and writing podcasts in the mornings. We also spend time in the office preparing recordings of PSAs and podcasts. On Monday afternoons, Jorge and I go to KOOP to apprentice on the Reflections of Community Outreach Show. We have also been going to KOOP in the evenings to attend training sessions on the policies and procedures of the station.

Jorge recording a PSA with Greg

As a longtime listener of KOOP Radio, I find it very interesting to see the daily operations of how a volunteer-run radio station works. Everyone there is so dedicated, and I feel like I am hanging out with famous people when I meet the radio programmers. I look forward to spending more time at KOOP and working with future interns in radio. As Jorge said, “I had a good time at KOOP, and this was my first time being on the air. It was amazing!”

If you are a person with a disability interested in radio broadcasting, please let me know. And don’t forget to listen to KOOP 91.7 FM. You just might hear VSA Texas on the radio!