NAB Leadership Foundation And For A Bright Future Foundation To Partner

Today, the National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation (NABLF) announced a partnership with the Foundation For A Bright Future (FABF), a nonprofit dedicated to supporting underprivileged and underrepresented children. NAB said: “This collaboration, rooted in shared values and objectives, aims to provide students with unparalleled educational opportunities and sustainable employment prospects in the media industry.”

NABLF and FABF are joining forces “to create a distinctive educational journey for students by leveraging their shared missions. The NAB Leadership Foundation focuses on attracting talented individuals to broadcasting careers and promoting inclusivity within the industry, aligning seamlessly with FABF’s goal of providing cutting-edge dual credit instruction to secondary school students. Through this partnership, students will gain exposure to cutting-edge technologies in the media industry and develop valuable leadership skills, paving the way for sustainable employment opportunities.”

The collaboration will initially focus on key markets in New York, California, Florida, Texas and other regions where NABLF and FABF can maximize their combined expertise and resources to create impactful programs.

The partnership aims to achieve the following objectives:

• Develop a comprehensive career pathway bridging high school and higher education in the media technology sector.
• Expand leadership programs to target the media technology sector.
• Explore funding resources to support ongoing initiatives and broaden program access for communities in need.

Additionally, the partnership will offer recipients of FABF’s Media Lab and Creative Arts Scholarships increased opportunities to participate in NABLF’s Technology Apprenticeship Program, Emerson Coleman Fellowship and Media Sales Academy.

FABF’s Media Lab program envisions establishing media facilities in schools, allowing students to produce their own television programs, short films, music and sports programming. The program launched in 2023 in Los Angeles, Miami and New York City regional areas, with plans for sustained deployments across the United States and eventual global expansion.

The NAB Leadership Foundation provides collegiate-level education, executive management courses and job seeker resources with the specific purpose of advancing diversity and leadership in the broadcast industry. Students and participants come from all over the country and programs occur in a hybrid environment with a combination of online lectures, station tours, internships and capstone presentations to media executives.

Louis Hernandez Jr., For A Bright Future founder-chairman of the board, said: “I am thrilled about our collaboration with NAB Leadership Foundation and the potential impact it holds for empowering students in media education. This partnership signifies a pivotal step towards fostering a vibrant and inclusive media sector, opening doors for diverse talents to flourish and create a positive impact. Together, we are sowing the seeds for a brighter and more equitable future.”

NAB Leadership Foundation President Michelle Duke added: “By joining forces with For A Bright Future, we will be able to scale our efforts in recruiting more young people to explore career-related education, specifically in broadcast technology, programming and marketing and sales. Facilitating internships at television and radio companies are the cornerstones of our academic programs, and it synchronizes beautifully with FABF’s goal of placing diverse talent in the world of creative arts and media. It’s an exciting time for our two foundations to work together.”