Story Created:
Aug 26, 2010 at 11:13 AM PST
Story Updated:
Aug 26, 2010 at 11:13 AM PST
LINCOLN HEIGHTS — It was lights, camera and action for more than 400 high school students as the Los Angeles Unified School District opened its first new public school dedicated to the entertainment industry.
The school — Leadership in Entertainment and Media Arts — opened its doors on Aug. 16 for ninth through 12th grade students on the campus of Lincoln High School.
The school offers three majors: law and leadership, filmed entertainment (television, film and online entertainment); and media arts, with a specialization in video-game design, a district representative said.
Founded by industry veterans, including the city of Los Angeles’ former “film czar” Beth Kennedy, LEMA is the first-ever school in the Los Angeles Unified School District that blends academic work with an intensive study of the entertainment industry, the representative added.
“When students get excited about learning, there is no limit to what they can achieve,” LAUSD school board President Mónica García said. “That’s why LEMA offers an amazing new option for students and families: Classes that connect rigorous academic instruction to the real world of entertainment and technology in a way that engages our kids and prepares them for college or careers in entertainment and media.”
“The skills our students will learn to master are those which the entertainment industry values: The intangible assets of flexibility, problem-solving and excellent interpersonal skills,” LEMA Principal Roberta Mailman said. “Our program, which includes additional graduation requirements in media arts and film-making, promotes teamwork, oral and visual communication skills, creative thinking and decision-making abilities — all traits needed to function successfully in any business or industry.”
LEMA, which was approved in February as part of the district’s Public School Choice initiative, consists of 10 bungalows totaling 18 classrooms on the Lincoln High campus and is currently being renovated with the latest technologies, industry-standard equipment and software, the representative said.
Several members of the LEMA faculty have experience in the entertainment, Internet, video-game, music video and media arts industries at companies including MCA/Universal, Sony, Columbia Pictures and Disney.
The school offers students a unique curriculum: Digital media in ninth grade, film-making in 10th grade, and advanced career specialization in 11th and 12th grades, which culminates in a senior seminar project.
All students are also required to take a course in law in the 11th grade. Already, LEMA has been selected for a three-year National Science Foundation grant through USC to integrate math intervention into a video-game design curriculum, the representative said.
LEMA was given “pilot school” status, giving the school autonomy in staffing, curriculum, schedule, budget, governance and professional development for teachers.
School leaders have begun meetings with industry professionals to invite their participation in LEMA, both inside the classroom and on LEMA's advisory board.
School founders are also launching a separate nonprofit, called E-High, to extend the high school experience beyond the traditional school day and school year.
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