Showtime® Partners With Boys & Girls Clubs Of Western Pennsylvania, Creating ‘Showtime Scholars’ Program
Network Will Award Year-Long Scholarships In Honor of Pennsylvania-Set Series AMERICAN RUST
NEW YORK – October 6, 2021 – SHOWTIME today announced a first-ever partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania (BGCWPA) to grant up to 650 scholarships for teens and young adults enrolled in BGCWPA programs throughout Allegheny and Somerset Counties, where the Pennsylvania-set series AMERICAN RUST was filmed.
Starring Emmy® winner Jeff Daniels and Emmy® nominee Maura Tierney and based on bestselling author Philipp Meyer’s debut novel, AMERICAN RUST, airing Sundays on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/PT, is a compelling adult drama and timeless story about survival, transcendence and wanting a brighter future while being held prisoner of the past. The tale is told through the perspective of Del Harris (Daniels), the complicated and compromised chief of police in a Pennsylvania Rust Belt town that’s full of good people making bad choices.
In the spirit of the show’s theme, the SHOWTIME Scholars initiative is part of a company-wide pledge that gives back to and enriches the people and communities where its series are filmed. The network will provide year-long scholarships to underserved teens and young adults, which will improve access to high-quality programming with a special focus on academic and career readiness.
BGCWPA gives youth the chance to explore a broad spectrum of career possibilities but has a special focus on STEM fields – especially those with robust opportunities in the region and advancement possibilities. Whether youth are headed to college, trade school or otherwise pursuing a career, BGCWPA programs provide academic support, financial literacy, guidance through application processes, mentoring, career exploration, goal setting and workable plans to ensure that every youth has a bridge to a great future.
“The SHOWTIME Scholars program reflects our deep commitment to investing in a promising tomorrow for young people,” says Puja Vohra, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Strategy, for Showtime Networks Inc. “By broadening our impact and footprint in the hometown of AMERICAN RUST in Western Pennsylvania, we’re hoping to lay the groundwork for better, healthier and happier lives.”
“At Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania, we believe that the future of our youth is the future of our community, and investments like the one SHOWTIME is making will go a long way toward activating and advancing the potential of our region’s young people,” says Dr. Lisa Abel-Palmieri, BGCWPA President & CEO. “Workforce development offers opportunities for youth to succeed in high-demand fields and helps to ensure that as our region grows, we have skilled individuals ready to work and lead.”
Since 1888, BGCWPA has served youth throughout Western Pennsylvania. Consisting of 12 Clubhouse locations and partner sites in Allegheny and Somerset Counties, workforce development academy (Career Works) and early Learning Resource Centers to assist families who qualify with Child Care Works (CCW) funding, BGCWPA serves thousands of youth annually. BGCWPA, one of the largest and most comprehensive providers of after-school and summer day camp programming in the region, is a licensed childcare provider, and offers scholarships to families in need. Programming includes academic literacy, STEM enrichment, sports and recreational activities and mentoring. Additionally, BGCWPA serves young alumni ages 18-24 through workforce development programming. Learn more at www.bgcwpa.org.
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.
CONTACTS:
SHOWTIME
Tahli Kouperstein
Tahli.Kouperstein@consultant.showtime.net
Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania
Jessi Marsh