Univision Makes $100K Scholarship Donation to Support Leading Animation and Gaming Program
MIAMI, FL – MARCH 24, 2017 – Univision Communications Inc. (UCI), the leading media company serving Hispanic America, established the Univision MAGIC Scholarship Fund in partnership with Miami Dade College (MDC). As part of Univision’s effort to cultivate the next generation of diverse leaders in the media and technology sector, funds for the scholarship and access to resources and opportunities will help to sustain MDC’s Miami Animation & Gaming International Complex (MAGIC), the Miami region’s premier animation and gaming educational facility.
The Univision MAGIC Scholarship Fund has been established with a $100,000 donation to the Miami Dade College Foundation, and the gift was formally presented at MDC’s recent March Board meeting. The partnership supports a fellowship and internship program for students currently attending the MAGIC program at MDC, providing students with expanded resources, tools and guidance from media professionals at UCI. Scholarships will be awarded to full-time MAGIC students who demonstrate academic achievement and unmet financial need.
MAGIC offers two associates degrees: Animation & Game Art, through which students learn core fundamentals such as character and environment design as well as story structure and Game Development & Design, which prepares students to pitch their unique ideas for an animated short or a game. Last year, several MAGIC student ideas were chosen for co-production by leading gaming production studios. The program’s 9,000 square foot operation is complete with an Open Lab – a large multipurpose space featuring state-of-the-art equipment – a full audio suite for recording and a fully equipped motion capture studio.
“Univision is committed to empowering our communities with access to tools; resources; and opportunities in arts, media and technology,” said Jessica Herrera-Flanigan, executive vice president of Government and Corporate Affairs for UCI. “Investing in talented Latino students who are passionate content creators is critically important to ensure that the future of these industries better reflects that new, more diverse reality.”
“Partnerships between the MAGIC program and local industry are a key part of our academic program,” said Mauricio Ferrazza, chairperson of MAGIC. “Collaborating with Univision Communications Inc. is especially relevant since the company is part of our community and who we are. In the face of increasing economic challenges and global competition, an opened dialogue between MDC and local industry will only benefit student success by preparing them for workforce demands.”
The partnership is part of Univision’s continued commitment through Univision Contigo, the Company’s social empowerment platform, to expand existing programs leading the way for diversity in the media and technology sectors and promoting science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) education and opportunities, to increase the pipeline of Latinos in media and technology.
About Miami Dade College
Miami Dade College (MDC) is the higher education institution with the largest undergraduate enrollment in the America, with more than 165,000 students. It is also the nation’s top producer of Associate in Arts and Science degrees and awards more degrees to minorities than any other college or university in the country. The college’s eight campuses and outreach center offer more than 300 distinct degree pathways including several baccalaureate degrees in education, public safety, supervision and management, nursing, physician assistant studies, film, engineering, biological sciences, and others. In fact, its academic and workforce training programs are national models of excellence. MDC is also renowned for its rich cultural programming. It is home of the Miami Book Fair, Miami International Film Festival, the MDC Live Arts Performing Arts Series, the National Historic Landmark Miami Freedom Tower, a major sculpture park and large art gallery and theater systems. MDC has admitted more than 2,000,000 students and counting, since it opened its doors in 1960. For more information, please visit mdc.edu.
About Miami Dade College Foundation
Miami Dade College Foundation raises essential private funds for Miami Dade College to change lives, families, communities and the world through the opportunity of education. In 2015-2016, MDC Foundation distributed more than $13.8 million to benefit the students and programs of MDC. MDC Foundation directly supports student scholarships, STEM education, arts and culture, entrepreneurship, workforce training, and other programs that elevate our community and nation. The College has a long history of responding to the needs of the community with cultural and education programs that enrich our community, and with a world-class education that prepares leaders for the careers of today and tomorrow. For more information, please visit. mdcfoundation.com.
About Univision Communications Inc.
Univision Communications Inc. (UCI) is the leading media company serving Hispanic America. The Company, a leading content creator in the U.S., includes Univision Network, one of the leading networks in the U.S. regardless of language and the most-watched Spanish-language broadcast television network in the country available in approximately 92% of U.S. Hispanic television households; UniMás, a leading Spanish-language broadcast television network available in approximately 86% of U.S. Hispanic television households; Univision Cable Networks, including Galavisión, the most-watched U.S. Spanish-language entertainment cable network, as well as UDN (Univision Deportes Network), the most-watched U.S. Spanish-language sports cable network, Univision tlnovelas, a 24-hour Spanish-language cable network dedicated to telenovelas, ForoTV, a 24-hour Spanish-language cable network dedicated to international news, and an additional suite of cable offerings – De Película, De Película Clásico, Bandamax, Ritmoson and Telehit; Univision Local Media, which owns and/or operates 59 television stations and 67 radio stations in major U.S. Hispanic markets and Puerto Rico; and Univision Now, a direct-to-consumer, on demand and live streaming subscription service. The Company also includes Fusion Media Group (FMG), a division that serves young, diverse audiences. FMG includes two cable networks: news and lifestyle English-language network FUSION TV and UCI’s interest in El Rey Network, a general entertainment English-language cable network; Univision.com, the most-visited Spanish-language website among U.S. Hispanics; Uforia, a music application featuring multimedia music content; as well as a collection of leading digital brands that span a range of categories: technology (Gizmodo), sports (Deadspin), music (TrackRecord), lifestyle (Lifehacker), modern women’s interests (Jezebel), news and social justice (FUSION.net), African American news and culture (The Root), gaming (Kotaku), and car culture (Jalopnik). FMG also includes the Company’s interest in comedy and news satire brands The Onion, Clickhole and The A.V. Club. Headquartered in New York City, UCI has content creation facilities and sales offices in major cities throughout the United States. For more information, please visit Corporate.Univision.com.