Mentorship

Founded in 2007, MSG Classroom is an Emmy Award-winning educational program that teaches young people the inner workings of the sports television industry through a mentorship initiative at MSG Networks. Students selected for this program meet weekly with various professionals and learn valuable lessons about their current roles, responsibilities and career journeys. At the end of each semester, students write and produce their own shows which are filmed at MSG Networks Studios. The MSG Networks’ mentors help guide students throughout the program and maintain long-lasting relationships that go beyond the final session. Several alumni of MSG Classroom have gone on to work at MSG Networks following their college graduation.

Established in 2019, MSG4Me expands on the framework implemented by MSG Classroom and pairs young people with employees across MSG Entertainment, MSG Sports and Sphere Entertainment. Each semester, a cohort of students from a Foundation Partner meet on a weekly basis to learn about the employees’ personal and professional journey. These students participate in Q&A sessions along with special hands-on experiences throughout the semester, such as visits to the MSG Training Center and pre-show backstage sessions with mentors.

In honor of Rob Carter, a beloved MSG Entertainment employee and huge supporter of Garden of Dreams, the Masterclass program strives to uphold Rob’s legacy by providing consistent academic and positive social support to youth in his hometown of the South Bronx. The program engages the same group of students throughout their middle and high school journeys by facilitating once-in-a-lifetime experiences including behind-the-scenes tours, concerts and games at Madison Square Garden, as well as workshops and mentorship that foster their overall growth.

Together with the New York Knicks and Jr. Knicks, Garden of Dreams launched the elevateHER Basketball Program in March 2022 with Foundation Partner Children’s Aid and their girls’ basketball program. The elevateHER program leverages the teachings of basketball and beyond to empower and uplift young female athletes who are often overlooked and viewed as secondary to their male counterparts. Through the program, the girls participate in twice-monthly clinics at Children’s Aid, including a focus on basketball skills and drills as well as mentorship sessions from female MSG Sports employees. The girls also take trips off-site at least once a semester to Madison Square Garden, the MSG Training Center or other MSG Entertainment venues, and at the end of the program, receive a donation including essential sports equipment.