Thanks to the support of Paramount Animation, students from across Los Angeles had the opportunity to learn from industry professionals about the animation process through study of the film, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run. The program kicked-off in the spring of 2020, and allowed 200 students - all adjusting to a new world of virtual learning - the chance to express themselves and tell their own stories. Final concepts and artwork were shared with peers and studio executives during virtual pitch presentations during the last week of school.

A unit of study leads students through the story development process as they dream up new characters, settings, and plots for their movies. Lesson plans are supplemented by videos recorded by the Paramount Animation team that help students explore concepts like character design, voice casting, and cinematography.

Developed at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, this program addresses Social/Emotional Learning needs while also supporting learning in English/Language Arts and Math for different age groups.

On February 28, 2021, Paramount invited students who participated in this program to see the animation process come to life at a drive-in screening of the film held at the Rose Bowl.

Thank you to Paramount for their generous support of this program!