There are moments in a classroom when the power of creativity becomes visible. The energy feels electric as students begin to build something of their own.
That same spark filled the fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms at Brandon–Evansville Elementary recently when COMPAS Teaching Artist Deacon Warner arrived to teach stop-motion animation. Deacon calls this a “really fun age group” because students don’t overthink creativity. They jump in. They experiment. They trust their ideas. In stop motion animation, that willingness to experiment is exactly what makes a story come to life.
See the energy for yourself in this short video from the residency, with reflections from Deacon, teachers, and families.
Why hands-on creativity matters
What happened in those classrooms was the kind of hands-on, creative experience that plays a vital role in how kids grow and learn.
They planned scenes together, solved problems, and carried ideas from the first frame to the final film. They practiced staying with something when it became challenging and learned to treat mistakes as part of creating, not a reason to stop.
Unlocking learning that textbooks alone cannot teach
Stop motion animation invites students to picture how a story moves, organize their thinking into clear sequences, and watch their ideas come to life. It gives them a sense of ownership over what they create. When young people experience that kind of agency, it changes how they see themselves as learners and artists.
Most of all, it builds confidence. When students watch their ideas turn into something tangible, something that moves and communicates, they see that their creativity carries weight in the world.
That kind of transformation is shaped by the person leading it. A COMPAS Teaching Artist (TA) brings something unique to the room. Like all COMPAS TAs, Deacon is both a working artist and an experienced educator. Students learn from someone who practices this art form and understands how to guide them through it.
Feedback also lands differently in that setting. Deacon can notice a clear story moment or a thoughtful workaround and connect it to the kinds of choices filmmakers make in their own work. When students hear that, their projects shift from feeling like assignments to feeling like films they crafted together, and they begin to see themselves in a new way.
Turning ideas into motion
With Deacon’s guidance, students learned Stop Motion Studio, an app they installed on their Chromebooks and used to animate their stories. They created armature structures, small pipe cleaner characters that served as the starting points for their films. They shared characters, brainstormed storylines, and began animating their own short pieces.
Something powerful happened along the way. As Deacon explains, this project-based learning residency had an extra bonus; the students were creating for a real audience. Their films would be shared at an event and seen by younger students and others. When students understand that their work has an audience, something ignites. The intensity of their effort grows.
Teachers saw it immediately. “Students were so focused and determined to finish their projects,” one said. “It was just amazing to see their creativity come out.”
Families saw it at home, too. One parent shared that her children came home eager to keep creating. Her daughter even downloaded an animation app. Another student proudly showed Deacon an animation he had made the night before using Legos.
The residency also helped students develop another type of awareness, one that has become increasingly important today: media literacy. “Every kid needs to make a film at least a few times in their education,” Deacon explains, “so they can better understand what is true and what is not in media.” Stepping behind the camera helped students see how easily images can be created, shaped, and edited in the wider world.
Opening the door to discovery
All this learning, from creativity to collaboration to media awareness, grows from a single opportunity to make something meaningful. Through the arts, students open a door they maybe didn’t know existed.
Thank you to all the people and organizations whose gifts to COMPAS turn an ordinary school week into an experience of discovery. You are inspiring the creators of tomorrow.
Learn more about COMPAS, our roster of teaching artists, and how we can bring creativity to your environment here.
Read more stories about our work to put creativity in the hands of millions of Minnesotans here.
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