Spencer Garland is the founder of BRENDA ARTS, an interdisciplinary media studio that collaborates with POC youth as an integral part of our productions. Originating as a BIPOC after-school arts program that turned into a boutique media company, Garland’s work spans film, video games, education, design, and animation. He heavily emphasizes uplifting students who look like him and prides himself on giving them the tools to explore the fullness of personhood rarely offered to marginalized communities. He aims to tell Black stories that have never been told through animation while showing the process of making the project in real time with my students. Their feedback and questions drive his own personal curiosity.