Ánimo City of Champions students visit Lionsgate Television as part of the mentorship program

Animo City of Champions students had an opportunity to experience firsthand how television series and movies are produced during a recent field trip to Lionsgate Television in Santa Monica.

The students, part of Green Dot Public Schools’ mentorship program, were hosted by Lionsgate’s Chairman and Chief Content Integration Officer Kevin Beggs, one of the founding partners of the program. Beggs has committed $5,000 on behalf of Lionsgate Television and $15,000 as a National Advisory Board member.

The Mentorship program, launched in Fall of 2021, will match each of Green Dot Public Schools’ 14,000 students in California, Tennessee, and Texas with a mentor. The program ensures that students have both an excellent academic foundation and access to networks and opportunities to help them realize their potential as a professional and as a community leader.

Beggs shared with the students how his love for theatre and movies helped him decide to pursue a career in the television industry after considering many alternatives, including law school. He figured out his passion and got a degree in Politics and Theatre Arts in 1987 at UC Santa Cruz. He joined Lionsgate in 1998 and since has guided the Television Group’s growth into a leading supplier of content for dozens of platforms.

“We are very proud to be one of the founding partners of the Green Dot Public Schools Mentorship program, and Lionsgate Television is committed to help mentor these students as they pursue their goals and dreams,” said Beggs.

During his talk with the students, he encouraged them to apply for internships at the studio as an option to learn more about the production of television shows and explore a possible career in the entertainment industry.

During the field trip, students were able to interact with their mentors, and treated to presentations in the Lionsgate Screening Room of “Skills to Make a Career out of Social Media” by Kathy Arendain, vice president of Digital Strategy and Enablement as well as “How TV Shows are Made”, by Starz’ Giovanna Desselle, Director of Original Programming.

Theophilus Ossei-Anto, Green Dot’s Director of Mentorship, valued the in-person experience at Lionsgate Television with the Animo City of Champions students. He expects many more of these interactions with companies as the program expands to other schools in the Green Dot Public Schools network.

“This is a unique opportunity for our students to witness what their mentors do at Lionsgate, one of our founding partners. We are very grateful for their commitment to the future of Green Dot’s students as they partner with us in preparing students for college, leadership, and life,” said Ossei-Anto.