| Based upon my experiences earning my Master of | | | | attract, develop and staff writers with diverse |
| Fine Arts in Screenwriting from UCLA, participating in | | | | backgrounds and experiences on Nickelodeon |
| the Writers Guild of America, west's Independent | | | | Network productions. Operating in a three-phased |
| Screenwriters Caucus, and working in Los Angeles in | | | | structure, the Fellowship provides a salaried position for |
| the entertainment industry for over 10 years, I have | | | | up to one year and offers hands-on experience writing |
| compiled this list of the top 5 most significant diversity | | | | spec scripts and pitching story ideas in both live action |
| screenwriting contests, programs and fellowships. | | | | and animation 4. The Guy A. Hanks & Marvin |
| Actually, my list contains 6, because they were all so | | | | Miller Screenwriting Program (Cosby Writing Program) |
| close in terms of prestige, access to industry insiders | | | | Drs. Bill and Camille Cosby established the Cosby |
| and the ability to promote the emerging diverse writer's | | | | Writing Program in 1993, at the USC School of |
| career. | | | | Cinematic Arts. It was named in honor of Camille's |
| 1. The Disney-ABC Writing Fellowship | | | | father, Guy Alexander Hanks and Bill's producer, |
| Begun in 1990 in partnership with the Writers Guild of | | | | Marvin Miller. The fifteen-week intensive workshop |
| America, west, this has become one of the industry's | | | | was designed with a two-fold purpose: To assist |
| best known and most respected writing fellowships. | | | | writers in the completion of a film or television script |
| More than 200 alumni number among Hollywood's elite, | | | | and to deepen the participants' appreciation for and |
| including screenwriters, directors and television | | | | comprehension of African American history and 5. Fox |
| showrunners. A limited number of full-time fellowships | | | | Writers Initiative |
| are available each year for both feature film and | | | | A writers' initiative designed to identify diverse writers |
| television projects.abctalentdevelopment.com | | | | for various staff positions on Fox series. Over |
| programs_writers.htm | | | | one-third of the writers from the beginning of the |
| 2. NBC Diversity Initiative for Writers | | | | program have gone on to work as Staff Writers or |
| NBC is proud of the existing diversity within the writing | | | | Writers Assistants on primetime series.fox.com |
| staffs of its Primetime Series. In order to further | | | | diversity/creative/writer_initiative.htm |
| encourage diversity among our writing staffs, NBC | | | | 6. The CBS Diversity Institute/Writers Mentoring |
| provides funding for a minority Staff Writer position, | | | | Program |
| open to all scripted NBC Primetime Series. These | | | | This program links aspiring writers with mentors from |
| positions are filled with writers selected and hired by | | | | the ranks of CBS Network and CBS Paramount |
| the show runner/producers of each show, with the | | | | Studio executives. Also, writers are mentored by |
| guidance of the network and studio(s). Though | | | | producer mentors from series airing on CBS. |
| submissions are read on an ongoing basis, positions | | | | Additionally, there are weekly sessions with successful |
| are generally filled during the March - June staffing | | | | writers, producers and show runners examining in very |
| season.nbcunicareers.com/entry_leadership | | | | specific and practical terms many aspects of the |
| diversity_initiative_for_writers | | | | experience of being a television writer in |
| 3. Nickelodeon Writing Fellowship | | | | Hollywood.cbscorporation.com/diversity/cbs_network |
| Developed to broaden Nickelodeon's outreach efforts, | | | | institute/writers_program. |
| the Nickelodeon Writing Fellowship is designed to | | | | |