Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine are joining forces with Atlanta Public Schools to establish a new learning center for high school students. The program, called the Lovine and Young Center, aims to provide students with the opportunity to collaborate and develop innovative ideas that address real-world problems.
179 Views
Dr. Dre and Interscope Records co-founder Jimmy Iovine are teaming up with Atlanta Public Schools to establish a new learning center for high school students called the Lovine and Young Center. The center will initially be offered to students in the 9th grade STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) Academy at Frederick Douglass High School.
It may also offer internships and job opportunities for the participating students. Dr. Dre was not present at the program announcement, but Iovine recognized his role in the initiative.
This is not the first time that Dr. Dre and Lovine have been involved in educational initiatives. The duo teamed up for the USC Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy in 2013, which is an educational program that has an integrated curriculum that features arts and design, technology, venture management and communication.
They also established the lovine and Young Center Magnet High School in Los Angeles, a magnet school that predominantly serves students from low-income households. The school was intended to provide opportunities for students in the Black and Latino communities.
In a statement, Iovine expressed his enthusiasm for the new program, stating that it aims to equip the next generation of students with the skills required to shape the future of jobs, technologies, and creative enterprises:
“We want to give the next generation of students access to a proven, revolutionary learning experience where technology meets design and entrepreneurship,” Iovine said. “This will not only prepare them for the jobs of today but equip them to reimagine and shape the jobs, technologies, and creative enterprises of the future.”
Iovine has high hopes for the program’s success, drawing on the achievements of similar initiatives in higher education and Los Angeles high schools.
“We are thrilled with our results in higher ed and the Los Angeles high school, and hope for similar success with Atlanta Public Schools,” Iovine added.
The program is set to enroll students in August 2024.
Dr. Dre has a history of philanthropy in the education sector. In 2022, he donated $10 million towards a $200 million campus for Compton High School in California. As a result, a performing arts center at the school was named in his honor.
Additionally, the Beats by Dre founder, along with radio host Angie Martinez and the late actor Chadwick Boseman, is set to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2024, recognizing his influential rap career spanning over three decades.
Another entertainer who recognizes the importance of giving back to schools is Diddy. The Bad Boy CEO recently donated $1 million to Jackson State University and an additional $1 million to the Earn Your Leisure Investment Fund, which supports financial literacy in the Black community.
