Mission-driven media company Aha Media and contemporary art and design school Columbus College of Art & Design (CCAD) have partnered to develop coursework that prepares students for creative careers. As part of the curriculum, students collaborate with Aha Media’s animation studio professionals, providing real production support on a film and earning production credit. This hands-on experience equips students with valuable skills companies desire from post-college graduates, offering more qualified candidates to employers.
The partnership comes as employers are looking to institutions of higher education to build tomorrow’s workforce. A September 2022 study from The Chronicle of Higher Education found 88% of freshmen surveyed cite “getting a good job” as the top reason to go to college, yet only 11% of business leaders surveyed strongly agree that graduating students have the skills and competencies their business needs. Columbus College of Art & Design and Aha Media are leaders in their respective industries for bridging the gap between education and career opportunity.
At CCAD, we incorporate experience-based learning into our curriculum across our 11 BFA programs to ensure students have both the technical proficiency and business skills to be career ready upon graduation,” said CCAD Associate Vice President for Creative Careers & Collaboration Nicole Monahan. “Our innovative partnership with Aha Media allows students to participate in a real-world animation production from design concept to film launch, all within the scope of their CCAD education.”
The college and media company recently premiered their first collaborative animated short film, which is based on an interview with animation producer Latoya Raveneau. The short comes as part of Aha Media’s Frames Per Second series, an all-ages anthology of animated shorts that explores the creative journeys of animation professionals and the unique experiences that shape their work. Twenty-one CCAD Animation students were part of the production unit and received credit on the final film.
“Despite more access to creative tools and educational platforms, we find many early-stage job candidates lack the necessary technical and soft skills required to work in the creative media industry,” said Aha Media Co-Founder and Co-CEO Matt McClure. “By partnering with higher ed institutions like CCAD that are going the extra mile to ensure their students are career-ready, we can bring bespoke production experiences to classrooms to give students industry experience. College graduates then enter the industry better prepared for the demands on a creative job.”
Each Aha Media collaboration production offers a unique, hands-on learning experience that complements the CCAD Animation BFA curriculum. Students leverage state-of-the-art animation tools and classroom-acquired techniques during their work with the Aha Media team. They are expected to attend regular project meetings, work alongside production managers, and meet film schedule deadlines, all while receiving one-on-one coaching from skilled professionals.
“At CCAD, we’re intentional that our degree programs reflect our ever-changing world, with coursework designed to prepare students for a creative career,” said CCAD Chair of Animation and Professor Charlotte Belland. “Thanks to this partnership, our students have secured additional internship roles or full-time positions with Aha Media, while others have used their skills to secure animator, producer, or designer roles at creative companies across the country.”
Aha Media will partner with CCAD’s Animation program again in spring 2025 for a new Frames Per Second short film. In addition to large-scale production partnerships with colleges and universities, Aha Media offers virtual workshops and externships (live Q&A sessions with creative media professionals) to provide students more options to gain access to and understanding of the animation industry.
I wish there had been more companies invested in shepherding the next generation of creative talent when I was starting out as an aspiring artist in the Midwest,” said Aha Media Co-Founder and Co-CEO Laura Hilker. “By preparing and elevating emerging talent in areas like the Midwest that are often underrepresented in the animation industry, we’re bridging a critical opportunity gap.”
For more information about higher education institutional partnerships and learning opportunities with Aha Media, visit ahamedia.co. For more information on Columbus College of Art & Design’s Animation program or its other bachelor’s degree programs in art and design, visit ccad.edu.
CCAD Media Contact: Director of Communications Renee LeGendre, [email protected]
Aha Media Contact: Co-Founder and Co-CEO Matt McClure, [email protected]
About Columbus College of Art & Design
Columbus College of Art & Design teaches undergraduate and graduate students in the midst of a thriving creative community in Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 1879, CCAD is one of the oldest private, nonprofit art and design colleges in the United States. CCAD offers 11 BFA programs, two Master of Professional Studies programs (Retail Design and User Experience Design), and a Master of Fine Arts that produce graduates equipped to shape culture and business at the highest level. For more information, visit ccad.edu.
About Aha Media
Aha Media creates, develops, and produces digital-first animation, combining leading talent in creative media with emerging talent in underrepresented communities. Unlike traditional animation companies, Aha Media’s unique production pipeline immerses early-stage creatives into the animation production pipeline alongside seasoned professionals, teaching them a mix of technical skills, soft skills and real-world critical thinking. The result is quality animation with an empowering impact. For more information, visit ahamedia.co.
