History Channel/A+E Networks Forms Multi-Year Partnership With Roybal Film and TV Production Magnet Fund

The History Channel/A+E Networks has entered in a multi-year partnership with the Roybal Film and Television Magnet Fund, which supports the magnet school of the same name founded last summer by a host of industry elites, including George Clooney, Grant Heslov and CAA managing director Bryan Lourd.

A+E Networks Group president and chair Paul Buccieri will join Roybal’s advisory board, serving alongside the aforementioned trio as well as Kerry Washington, Eva Longoria, Mindy Kaling, Don Cheadle, Nicole Avant, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Jim Gianopulos.

“We welcome Paul and his shared commitment to the Board’s mission,” Lourd said in a statement. “With Paul and the support of The History Channel, we are able to accelerate our collective impact on Roybal’s students. We look forward to other individuals and companies joining our efforts.”

The History Channel/A+E Networks will provide classroom resources and curriculum as well as access to special screenings and guest speakers for the school, which will open this fall to ninth and 10th graders in the educationally underserved Los Angeles neighborhood of Westlake. (The school, which will be overseen by principal Blanca Cruz, plans to expand to grades 11 and 12 over the next two years.) Executives and creatives from the company will also lead practical, skill-based learning sessions to expose students to the range of behind-the-camera roles available in the entertainment industry.

This isn’t the first time A+E Networks has been involved in education. According to the company, it has provided educational resources to more than 120,000 educators across the country over the decades as well as scholarships and mentorship opportunities, with a particular focus on historically marginalized students. Through its Lifetime brand, A+E Networks also has been a longtime partner of The Hollywood Reporter‘s Women in Entertainment mentorship program.

“One of the most powerful ways to diversify the entertainment industry is to provide a new generation with practical hands-on skills and connections, which is why I am honored to serve as a founding member of the Roybal Film and Television Magnet School Advisory Board,” Buccieri said in a statement. “The History Channel is proud to be a founding partner at the school to help support educators, augment curriculum and provide opportunities that inspire curiosity and empower students to excel. The Roybal school will help infuse the media and entertainment industry with an incredible new pool of creatives, and I am thrilled to play a role in this important endeavor.”