Dave is an energetic and interesting man with a passion for teaching. I had the pleasure of meeting him in southern California during the 2008 MEI Leadership retreat.

You  can get a good idea of what his non-profit organization is up to by visiting his website at http://www.acmeanimation.org

This link will tell you, specifically, how they organize their mentoring by grouping volunteers, teachers and students into various skill levels. http://www.acmeanimation.org/Content/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=35963

I am a huge fan of animation as an art form, and I’m also very impressed with the sheer number of volunteers that give of their time to make this approach work. It’s a model worth thinking about for other art forms and groups.

One of Dave’s current projects involves cultural preservation. He’s going to be talking about that during his trip to Shasta College and Redding, and it, too, is another really cool idea. Dave and his non profit are helping the Navajo Nation preserve their language and culture. Young Navajo are getting mentoring in animation, and they are using these skills to make “Sesame Street Like” animations to teach the Navajo language.

This is cool on many levels. It has young people seeking out elders and working to “get down” their wisdom. It trains these young people in an “up and coming” job skill on a reservation that, like many, has had a hard time providing jobs.

Kudos to Dave and all those who help him.

For my part, I’m hoping we can institute something similar in the north state, and I’d love to help coordinate this, and take in a session of animation training. They say it’s never to late to learn a new skill.