George Clooney, Eva Longoria Help Launch LAUSD's Entertainment Business Magnet School
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — An impressive slate of Hollywood's elite are joining forces to help train Los Angeles students in underserved communities for jobs in the entertainment industry.
George Clooney, Eva Longoria, Kerry Washington, Don Cheadle, Mindy Kaling are among the actors who will serve as the founding advisory board of the Roybal School of Film and Television Production. The new magnet school will be launched in Fall 2022 and be housed within the Edward R. Roybal Learning Center in downtown Los Angeles.
The school will connect industry professionals and experts with students who aspire to a career in the entertainment industry.
"Physics is involved in the choice of a lens by a cinematographer, math is part of the foundation for a musical score in a film, critical thinking skills are needed to design a set, screenwriters needs a foundation in literacy, and a make-up artist needs to know the chemistry of the different materials they might use – all of this will be tied into the curriculum at the school," Superintendent Austin Beutner said in a statement. "We are excited to have the support of these extraordinary industry leaders to create opportunity for children in the Los Angeles area."
Hollywood has been under fire in recent years for its lack of diversity, even with its epicenter in Los Angeles, one of the most diverse cities in the world. The goal of the new magnet school is create a more diverse pipeline into the entertainment business.
"Our aim is to better reflect the diversity of our country. That means starting early. It means creating high school programs that teach young people about cameras, and editing and visual effects and sound and all the career opportunities that this industry has to offer," Clooney said." Clooney said in a statement.
CAA's co-chair Bryan Lourd added, "The combination of education and hands-on training opens up life-changing opportunities."
Producer and former U.S. Ambassador to the Bahama Nicole Avant said, "Everyone involved with this effort understands the need to create points of access: access to resources, information, skills, and mentorship."
The new magnet school will launch with ninth and 10th-grade students and expand to include juniors and seniors over the next two years. School officials say the program could be expanded to more schools throughout the Los Angeles area.