DreamWorks Animation has partnered with US diversity and inclusion company HBCU 20×20 to turn dreams into reality for aspiring Black animators with the LAUNCH: HBCU Fellowship Program.

This talent development initiative, which opened for applications yesterday, is accessible to students and recent graduates of HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) in the US. Once applications close on March 1, LAUNCH will select 15 students to take part in a two-month curriculum consisting of workshops, courses and speaker series designed to help advance their careers in animation.

The fellows will also receive a stipend from DreamWorks Animation, benefit from professional networking opportunities with execs at DreamWorks and from the wider industry, and they can also apply and interview for the internship program at DreamWorks or for any open positions at the studio.

More information about how to apply to the LAUNCH program can be found on the HBCU 20×20 website. Founded in 2017, the organization is the world’s largest network for Black job-seekers, according to the company.

LAUNCH is one of several new DEI incubators that have emerged in the last year to elevate emerging Black animation talent. Others include Secret Story Draw in the UK, Kids Can Press/Nelvana’s Canadian program Black Write and Film London’s FLAMIN Animations initiative.