Entertainment companies Showtime and MTV are partnering to create The Storytellers Lab, an exclusive HBCU initiative to help students get in to the entertainment space. The program will lead students through a nine month bootcamp that will “equip BIPOC students with the skills and insights to become the next generation of content creators,” according to Deadline’s Valerie Complex.

Some of the 12 HBCUs in the opening class of The Storytellers Lab include Alabama State, Cheyney, Chicago State, Clark Atlanta, Fisk, Florida A&M, and Tennessee State. It is unclear if the program will expand to other HBCUs in the future.

“This unprecedented collaboration leverages Paramount’s Content for Change initiative to tackle the lack of diversity in entertainment by transforming our content ecosystem, from centering fresh perspectives in storytelling to building new points of access in our creative supply chain to strengthening our culture,” said Melissa Potter, the Executive Director of Content for Change at Paramount Global. “We are thrilled to collaborate with these incredible schools and SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios.”

During The Storytellers Lab program, HBCU students will work with professionals at Paramount Global. They’ll also have access to masterclass and mentorship sessions on the process of developing creative content. At the end of the program, the students will create an advertisement that MTV will display across their multimedia platforms.

“This first-of-its-kind program builds upon our existing relationship with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, underscoring our steadfast commitment to fostering diverse talent and amplifying underrepresented voices to create meaningful pathways for the next generation of storytellers,” said Head of the Storytellers Lab Ti-She Meadows.