WIA Partners with Schools to Give Students Early Access to Support

WIA Partners with Schools to Give Students Early Access to Support

June 7th, 2017

Jerry Beck

Women in Animation (WIA) has announced a first round of academic partnerships to encourage student participation in the WIA network of support. The School of Visual Arts (SVA) has aligned as both a corporate sponsor as well as a membership sponsor, and California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) has agreed to be a membership sponsor so that more of its students can become active in the WIA organization.

“We’ve discovered that although the female population accounts for approximately 65% of the student body in animation schools, only 23% of those women are being placed in creative leadership roles within the industry,” explains WIA co-president Marge Dean. “Connecting with women during their academic training is a way for us to support their professional development and effort from the start, and to work together towards our goal of making the creative leadership in the industry 50-50 by 2025,” add Brendan Burch, WIA treasurer and member of the organization’s student committee.

“We at SVA are thrilled to offer our students access to the premier organization for women’s advocacy, gender equality and leadership training. Students are the future of our industry and the support they will gain by joining WIA will be a very positive influence on their education and their careers. We encourage our peers, educators and students to sign the pledge (50/50 by 2025!) – we did!” says John McIntosh, Chair of SVA Computer Art, Animation and Visual Effects.”

“CalArts treasures its long relationship with WIA and deeply appreciates its support for our students and graduates—whether they are still in school, first-time professionals or advanced in their careers. WIA creates an all-important community that encourages women to take creative leadership in the industry and is an essential resource for female professionals in the field of animation,” said Leighton Pierce, Dean of CalArts School of Film/Video.

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Jerry Beck

Writer, cartoon producer and author of more than 15 books on animation history. A former studio exec with Nickelodeon and Disney; currently on the faculty at both CalArts in Valencia and Woodbury University in Burbank, California.