Where are we going?
We have some ambitious goals to expand in the next 12 months - while this sounds like a long time, it will go by quickly. We’ll need all the support we can get from the community around us to keep this going and maintain growth.
Want to help out? Donate, become a Host Studio, or Volunteer!
Big Goal #1 - Expanding our In-Studio Program to serve more students.
Adding more host studios.
Our in-studio program has been a fantastic experience for our students. We’re ready to expand this program beyond the reach of our current host studios in Detroit. The more studios that participate, the more students we can reach.
We want to be in…
4 Studios by the Fall of 2026 <—- We only need 2 more studios to meet this goal!
8 Studios by Winter 2027
Having more studios open their doors to host enables us to reach more students at once.
The more physical locations that welcome our students, the more access students will have without needing to travel long distances or spend money on lodging in a faraway city. Local students who may not have the means or opportunity to travel for education, or who need to continue to work while in our program will have greater access in your local area.
Each studio typically hosts 2-4 students. If we have 8 studios, that’s 16-32 new people each session, at no cost to the student!
Big Goal #2 - Continue Developing our Online Program.
A room filled with experienced people makes all the difference in your success.
Our Studio Shadowship program has been a big success. It’s given our students the opportunity to network with peers and mentors while developing skills in a studio. While the Shadowship program is free, it has some requirements that can make it difficult for everyone to attend, including location, time commitment, and other personal considerations.
Making that room virtual has the biggest impact.
We launched our first online experience in early 2025 as a test, and it worked! It allowed us to teach the curriculum that’s key to our Shadowship Program to even more students at a time. The students in the program act as “remote freelancers” that compliment the students in the studio. They learn the same materials, get the same opportunities to connect do workshops and attend Q&A sessions, and more. The benefit is they don’t need to travel and have greater flexibility in the times they need to be available to attend.
We’re always looking to improve.
We want to find more ways to strengthen the virtual part of our program. How can we give students more connections, resources, and other opportunities to create a lasting impact? We’re open to your ideas. Contact us — info@gunner.school
Become a Volunteer Mentor!
Our mentors are a key part of both the Studio Shadowship and our online learning experience. Are you looking for a way to give back to the Motion Design Community? Learn more about mentoring here.
Big Goal #3 - Establish an Advisory Board.
We rely on the voices of experts to guide our School.
During 2026 we’ll be recruiting a group of industry professionals to help advise us on what our curriculum and programs should look like in the future. Learn more about being on our Advisory Board.
Big Goal #4 - A new home, a new way to learn.
Our current space isn’t going to meet our needs for the future.
Don’t get us wrong, we love the community and vibe of being in Boxfort, a creative coworking space for freelancers and other remote creatives. But our current space has a couple of key issues.
It’s not physically accessible to everyone. We have no elevator and are up a long flight of stairs. This leaves our disabled peers and leaders faced with exclusion from learning with us, coming to events, and being a part of our community. Our Executive Director has a dynamic disability, and being faced with stairs on bad mobility days is a big challenge. We’ve made it work so far, but we know that it’s not going to work forever.
We want to create a Learning Lab. We want to lab to be an accessible place for people to come and learn. Think of it like a library for creatives at any stage of their journey. A place to connect, use computers and software, and learn together. We want to run events and workshops (like our Animation Jam) without needing to move equipment to a new venue every time.
We need support to make this goal happen.
We’re looking for businesses and other donors who can contribute to us moving to a new location that would solve these two key issues. We have options available to us. Please reach out if you’re interested in learning more about our story, plans, and how you can help — amy@gunner.school
If you’re involved in Detroit area rentals or real estate and can help us explore additional options please reach out! — info@gunner.school