West Side Drives Scholarship: Get Free Driving Lessons AND Break into the Film and TV Industry

 
The West Side Drives Scholarship offers free driving lessons to low-income residents of Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen, and Hudson Yards who want to work behind the scenes on film and television productions.

How it Works: To get the West Side Drives Scholarship, you must apply to the “Made in NY” Production Assistant (PA) Training Program, a free program that prepares low-income New Yorkers to work entry-level jobs on film and television productions. Participants are trained to become Production Assistants (PAs). PAs support the crew and handle tasks like:

– driving crew to and from set
– operating a vehicle to transport rental equipment
– going on runs to purchase production supplies
– keeping pedestrians from walking onto the film set

Graduates receive 2 years of job placement assistance and support in launching their careers in the film and TV industry.

Scholarship Details:

The West Side Drives Scholarship provides free driving lessons to residents of west Manhattan who want to join the “Made in NY” PA Training Program but do not have a driver’s license.

The scholarship covers the cost of a 5-hour Pre-Licensing Course, 15 hours of driving lessons, and a road test. After the applicant passes their road test, they will be enrolled in the “Made in NY” PA Training Program.

Important Dates:

– Driving lessons will begin by: Monday, July 7, 2025
– Road Test Deadline: Friday, September 12, 2025
– “Made in NY” PA Training Program: Those who pass their road test will be enrolled in the “Made in NY” PA Training Program. The training will begin on Monday, September 15, 2025, and ends on Friday, October 10, 2025.

Please note: The “Made in NY” PA Training Program is full-time and runs Monday through Friday.

Eligibility:

Applicants must:

– Be at least 18 years old
– Resident of Chelsea, Hudson Yards, or Hell’s Kitchen for the past 6 months
– Be underemployed, unemployed, or low-income
– Legally eligible to work in the U.S
– Must have a Learner’s Permit
– Available for 15 hours of driving instruction over 2 months
– Able to attend the full-time, 4-week “Made in NY” PA Training Program after passing the road test
– Available after completing the “Made in NY” PA Training Program to work freelance, on-call 10/12+ hours per day in TV and film production
– Able to make a 2-year commitment to working full-time in the TV and film production industry after completing the “Made in NY” PA Training Program. Please do not apply if you are employed full-time, enrolled in school, or plan to enroll in school in the next two years

No previous media experience is required. Residents of west Manhattan with Section 8 housing and NYCHA residents in Fulton-Elliot Housing are strongly encouraged to apply.

How to Apply:

Attend a virtual Info Session via Zoom to receive the application link. [Register here]

Please email [email protected] if you have any questions.