Hollywood star George Clooney will launch an academy for Los Angeles high school students as part of a new scheme to teach movie industry skills to children from disadvantaged and minority communities, it was announced Monday.
Clooney and fellow A-listers Don Cheadle and Eva Longoria will spearhead the program initially available next fall for 14 to 16-year-olds at a downtown high school, with plans to expand to other ages and pilot locations throughout Los Angeles' public school system.
"Our aim is to better reflect the diversity of our country. That means starting early," Clooney said in a statement announcing the Roybal School of Film and Television Production.
"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."
The program follows similar star-backed collaborations with Los Angeles public schools, including an inner-city educational facility announced last week by music producers Dr Dre and Jimmy Iovine.
The Los Angeles Unified School District teaches some 650,000 students, who are mainly from low-income backgrounds and predominantly Latino or Black.
The new program will offer "internships that lead to well-paying careers," added Clooney, who along with his co-founders is set to serve on an advisory board.
It will "pair teachers with renowned storytellers, along with industry professionals and experts" and aim to "build a more inclusive pipeline of career-ready talent to the film and television industry," Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner told an online press conference Monday.
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