Foundation for Oklahoma City Community College

PROJECT PURPOSE

The Foundation for Oklahoma City Community College (OCCCF) proposes to utilize Oklahoma?s funding to pay student course fees allowing 180 Oklahoma residents to attend the Digital Cinema Workforce Development Program through Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC). Students will serve as apprentices on film production crews for incoming motion picture productions, connecting students directly to industry in a program closely modeled after the successful Georgia Film Academy. Upon completing the program, students are eligible for immediate hire within Oklahoma?s burgeoning film and television industry. OCCC?s Digital Cinema Productions Workforce Development Program is not eligible for FAFSA funding, and the course is condensed into 5-week, full-time classes. Recognizing both serve as financial barriers, OCCCF shall use funds to pay student course fees. Upon completion of the four-year proposal term, these fees will be sustained through apprenticeship rental agreements generated between OCCC and industry; courses will be accredited; and OCCCF will continue building partnerships with key stakeholders and private philanthropy. OCCC is confident that the Digital Cinema Workforce Development Program will strengthen Oklahoma?s growth in film production to the educational and financial benefit of students, film-makers and all Oklahomans. OCCCF is committed to removing any financial barriers to entry for vulnerable populations.

EVIDENCE

OCCC represents an excellent value in higher education, including its Digital Cinema Production Workforce Program. Despite its reasonable cost, when paired with transportation, housing, food and potential income loss during the condensed course term, the cost can prove prohibitive. This funding will pay the course fees to help students better focus on the demands of the condensed coursework, thus enabling them to commit time to the program and quickly enter the workforce.

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

Racial and ethnic minority groups have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic, according to the CDC. NPR reported that job losses were higher among people of color during the pandemic. Due to inequities in access to high-quality education, minority groups are often limited to lower paying, less stable jobs. OCCC is an affordable, open access college, that is a majority minority serving institution. In the fall of 2020, 47.6 percent of students identified as non-white, while 46 percent identified as white. With scholarships and grants from the federal government, the OCCC Foundation, and other public and private sources, the majority of OCCC students receive enough financial aid to make education affordable. When larger films come into the state, they bring with them high paying jobs that are built on trade skills. Digital Cinema Production at OCCC offers short term, fast track training for in demand well-paying jobs in the film industry. The Digital Cinema Production workforce development certificates are intended to get skilled workers who have lost their jobs into the film production workforce in as little as five weeks.

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

The success of the project will be evaluated through quantitative and qualitative measures, including: ? Number of student placements in the Oklahoma Department of Commerce film apprenticeship program, a requirement for films to receive the state rebate ? Number of students becoming employed in desired film-related career tracks ? Ethnicity and gender subdivisions of apprentices and employed students ? Numeric ratings and written comments from student and employer surveys, conducted by OCCC?s Office of Institutional Effectiveness ? Number of film productions in Oklahoma, using data from the Film and Music Office and Oklahoma Department of Commerce ? Number of film productions at partnering Oklahoma-based production companies

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

None

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

Able to continue operation without additional funding from the State of Oklahoma