We know the important role educators play in shaping the next generation of young storytellers and creators – which is why for almost 30 years, the Television Academy Foundation has hosted the Faculty Seminar. Traditionally, the seminar has been a five-day retreat where television and digital arts educators from across the country converge for intensive workshops, presentations, networking and panel discussions on the inner workings of the television industry. Committed to providing the resources needed to educate and nourish the next generation of content creators, storytellers and media makers, the Faculty Seminar, for the first time in 2019, will take the form of a three-day industry conference, open to all media educators teaching at the college level.
The Television Academy Foundation collaborates with industry professionals, creators and top executives to expand college and university educators' knowledge, insights into the industry, new programming genres, evolving technologies, trends and research that they can share with their students. Faculty Seminar field trips, presentations and workshops offer invaluable information about building a career in television, production development and programming.
"This has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my career," said Gregory Bray, an Associate Professor at Suny New Paltz who attended the 2018 Faculty Seminar. "The industry leaders were incredibly insightful, and now we are able to bring what we learned to our students."
Attendees also have the opportunity to network and interact with the Hollywood production community and speak with creators and executives of some of television's biggest shows.
"It's great to see what's happening in the industry," says Tewodross Melchishua Williams, an Associate Professor at Bowie State University who attended the 2018 Faculty Seminar. "A lot of times we are in our academic bubble, we're not quite sure what's happening in the real world... so it's really important to have these types of relationships."
"We are so excited to open this year's conference to more educators than in years past," said Jodi Delaney, Executive Director at the Television Academy Foundation. "We've built a format that provides more access to industry leaders and provides opportunity to bring this information back to more classrooms."
Faculty Seminar: The Conference will take place November 4 – 6, 2019 at the Saban Media Center in North Hollywood, CA. Registration opens in August, with scholarships available to educators who serve low-income communities. Visit Faculty Seminar to stay current on the latest news, including programming and registration.
