NBCUniversal commits $210K To Youth Design Center To Advance Social Justice
[Brooklyn, NEW YORK] – January 26, 2021 – NBCUniversal announced a new partnership with Youth Design Center and 9 other nonprofit organizations focused on the arts, media and creativity, as part of Comcast’s $100 million multiyear, comprehensive commitment to advance social justice and ensure more people have equal access to the education and training needed to succeed. In conjunction with Comcast NBCUnites, NBCUniversal’s volunteering and social impact initiative, these new investments focus on three key areas: empowering the next generation of storytellers, building stronger communities and promoting media and technology skills.
“As one of the world’s largest media and entertainment companies, NBCUniversal has a responsibility to give back to our communities and help level the playing field so that underrepresented groups are afforded the access and skills needed to break into this industry and have opportunity for success,” said Hilary Smith, EVP of NBCUniversal Corporate Communications and Social Impact. “We are excited to partner with these nonprofits who share our commitment to promoting equity in the arts and media, as well as our goal to effect real, sustainable change.”
“YDC prepares Black and Latinx youth to become design and technology agents of the next generation as well as visionary civic leaders at the forefront of social justice” says YDC’s Chief Executive Officer, Quardean Lewis-Allen. “Our work ignites hope in young people for a future without margins that respects and celebrates difference; a future that has no need for the word inclusion. NBCUniversal's support comes at a critical juncture, helping us to offer more sessions of our Creative Apprenticeship Program than ever before during a time of sorest need for the East Brooklyn community. We look forward to partnering on programming that trains youth in digital media skills, including photography and video production."
In addition to supporting two Creative Apprenticeship Program cohorts for 2021, this $210,000 investment in YDC strengthens and supports the partnership forged in 2020 between YDC and America On Tech—a nonprofit with founders from East New York—to bring free technology education to youth in East New York and Brownsville, Brooklyn. NBCUniversal has been a funder and partner of AOT since 2017. Last 2020, our strategic partnership with AOT produced a series of programs for middle school and high school students between the ages of 12-19 years old and awarded $26K in stipends to 65 technology camp graduates. This year, the program will deliver two 3-week stipend awarding virtual summer technology camps for students during summer 2021. Applications for the camps will open in Spring 2021 and will be open to 15-19 year olds.
NBCUniversal continues their support of local organizations like Youth Design Center through their Project Innovation grant program, which is now open for submissions. This competitive grant challenge, which will award a total of $3.475 million in grants, up from $2.475 million, as part of its ongoing commitment to fund local organizations advancing equity.
Youth Design Center
Youth Design Center (formerly Made in Brownsville) is a youth creative agency and innovation hub providing a gateway for young people to learn marketable hard skills in STEAM, access postsecondary education, achieve economic mobility, and engage in place-based community revitalization.
About NBCUniversal
NBCUniversal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks, and a premium ad-supported streaming service. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.
About America On Tech
America On Tech (AOT) is an award-winning nonprofit organization on a mission to prepare the next generation of technology leaders by creating pathways into degrees and careers in technology. AOT's work has received national media attention in Forbes, CNN, TechCrunch and other publications for its resounding success in developing diverse tech talent pipelines.
