Class is in session with Keke Palmer.
The actor, entrepreneur, and entertainment powerhouse is adding another title to her impressive résumé, joining the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Theater, Film and Television as an artist in residence, according to a news release. Through a five-year partnership, Palmer will bring her expertise to campus for mentorship opportunities and quarterly workshops on pitching, distribution strategy, business ownership, career sustainability, and personal brand development.
Inside Keke Palmer’s New UCLA Residency
The program, titled “From Blocking to Broadcast,” launches during the 2026-27 academic year and will connect students with real-world entertainment industry experience in content packaging, marketing, and digital audience engagement, the news release noted. The initiative is designed to help amplify underrepresented voices while allowing students to create original content for Palmer’s digital media network, KeyTV.
“UCLA TFT is a place where artists learn to be in practice, to experience trial and error, to take projects off the page,” Palmer said, per the release. “That is also the mission of KeyTV. We know that education is key to democratizing opportunities, and I am eager to both learn from and support UCLA TFT students.”
As part of the partnership, students will develop and produce original multimedia projects, working alongside faculty while receiving mentorship from Palmer. KeyTV will distribute at least three projects each year, pending quality review.
Students may produce a range of projects — including video podcasts, television pilots, music videos, and musical or dance theater productions — guided by faculty expertise, academic goals, and Palmer’s creative background, per the release.
The initiative also aims to prepare students for an evolving media landscape, helping them navigate emerging technologies such as generative AI while building careers in creator-driven media.
“It is no small feat to pursue higher education, especially at a prestigious institution. I look forward to listening, encouraging, and offering them more than one chance to succeed,” Palmer added.
KeyTV’s Impact On The Creator Economy
Palmer launched KeyTV in 2022 as a digital media platform dedicated to content created by BIPOC storytellers, according to the news release. The company has produced nearly 30 original projects and recently introduced KeyTV Days at Special Academy, a six-week program designed to support aspiring creatives from underrepresented communities.
In announcing the partnership, university leaders praised Palmer’s commitment to mentorship and collaboration, noting that her career reflects a belief in creating opportunities for others while helping emerging artists develop their unique voices.
“Diverse voices matter more than ever,” said Dean Celine Parreñas Shimizu. “People of color and the underrepresented have always made counter cinemas and birthed social movements grounded in cinema as technology of resistance. Bringing an artist of Keke’s caliber into the spaces where our students are learning to develop their stories will inspire them to see and believe what is possible when you are willing to work hard and are committed to educating and uplifting one another.”
