SCAD receives grant from the Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation
SAVANNAH, GA – The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is pleased to announce that the university has received a grant from the Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation (WJSFF) in support of the SCAD Rising Star initiative. The grant will provide scholarships for students participating in the five-week summer program, which awards college credit to rising high school seniors in pursuit of creative careers. SCAD Rising Star offers an unparalleled academic experience at the university’s global locations in Savannah and Atlanta, Georgia, Hong Kong, and through the award-winning SCAD eLearning program.
“Will and Jada Pinkett Smith are generous philanthropists and radiant entertainers,” says SCAD president and founder Paula Wallace. “Thank you, Will and Jada, for helping young storytellers ignite their careers at SCAD, a global university at the heart of Georgia’s preeminent creative professions. Together, WJSFF and SCAD transform lives through star power at its brightest!”
The gift is part of a collaborative effort among SCAD and WJSFF to identify, educate and support talented youth in, through and beyond their school years. Rising Star students enroll in two of SCAD’s accredited degree program courses, including top-ranked programs such as film & television, architecture, interior design, fashion, and advertising, for access to professional-caliber resources and one-on-one guidance from renowned faculty. Scholarship recipients will also be enrolled into WJSFF’s Careers in Entertainment (CIE) Network, giving them additional access and guidance to build and enhance their portfolios.
“Broadening the scope of the entertainment industry is central to the vision of our founders, and begins with providing access to today’s creative youth,” said WJSFF President Jana Babatunde-Bey. “Through our work with SCAD, we will give more emerging storytellers a pathway to a globally-minded, innovative arts education, allowing them to use their gifts to create a more inclusive entertainment industry and society.”
Since 1996, the Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation has invested millions of dollars to accelerate the growth of initiatives that focus on deepening individual and collective empowerment. Through impactful giving, WJSFF provides funds to organizations and ventures in support of their meaningful and lasting impact in the areas of arts education, social empowerment and environmental sustainability. In 2016, the foundation launched CIE, a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to transform the industry by building a diverse and inclusive pipeline of young talent. CIE enrolls high school and college students into WJSFF’s network and helps them achieve their career goals through access to industry leaders, mentors and internship opportunities across the nation.
This partnership spotlights the tremendous impact of SCAD entertainment arts degree programs in Georgia’s flourishing television and film industry. SCAD has graduated nearly 12,000 alumni from programs related to film, television and the entertainment arts. The university’s unique project-based curriculum prepares students for professional workplaces, and 2,800 alumni already work in Georgia's entertainment industry at prestigious companies, including Turner, CNN, Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, Georgia Public Broadcasting and more.
With nearly 1 million square feet dedicated to the production of film, television and digital entertainment, SCAD offers leading-edge technology and studio resources for SCAD students, as well as professional production companies and corporations. SCAD is also home to the only full-time, in-house university casting office in the nation. The SCAD Casting Office has placed more than 250 roles to date for productions by Netflix, HBO and Hulu, among others.
To apply to SCAD Rising Star, visit www.scad.edu/academics/pre-college-summer-programs/scad-rising-star/apply. The scholarship deadline for Summer 2018 is May 1, 2018.
SCAD: The University for Creative Careers
The Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited university, offering more than 100 academic degree programs in more than 40 majors across its locations in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia; Hong Kong; Lacoste, France; and online via SCAD eLearning.
SCAD enrolls nearly 14,000 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 100 countries. The innovative SCAD curriculum is enhanced by advanced professional-level technology, equipment and learning resources, as well as opportunities for internships, professional certifications and collaborative projects with corporate partners. In 2017, the prestigious Red Dot Design Rankings placed SCAD as the No. 1 university in the U.S. and in the top two universities in the Americas and Europe. Career preparation is woven into every fiber of the university, resulting in a superior alumni employment rate. According to a recent study, 98 percent of Spring 2016 SCAD graduates were employed, pursuing further education or both within 10 months of graduation. For more information, visit the official SCAD blog.
Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation
The Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation (WJSFF) is a non-profit organization that sits at the convergence of philanthropy, media and social impact. We are an incubator and accelerator that ignites the next generation of big ideas, cutting-edge artists, thought leaders, change-makers and social innovators. Together with grantees and partners, we invest in organizations and initiatives that empower traditionally overlooked communities and affect real change. Join us at www.wjsff.org.
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Kristina Bonés
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Evan Nowell
Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation
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310.432.2404