Navigating Our Way

Partners: Harbor Freight Fellows / Big Picture Learning

Big Picture Learning and FableVision—both long-time champions of more progressive, creative approaches to education—have collaborated to create a series of short, animated films that help elevate the trades as an equally valid choice for students. The films make the case that you can’t talk about human intelligence without also talking about the hand. CTE education is connected to the hand and to relationships around outside-of-school interests that for far too long have been ignored in CTE’s programmatic design.

The first film in the series, Navigating Our Way, is narrated by award-winning film and television actor and New Orleans native Wendell Pierce. The story features two childhood friends’ very different learning journeys; Seymour leaving New Orleans for college, and Sylvie staying back in the shipyards to learn the trades—and both finding success. 

Navigating Our Way was written by Elliot Washor (Big Picture Learning) and Paul Reynolds (FableVision)—with character design by New York Times best-selling picture book author Peter H. Reynolds, and produced by FableVision Studios. The film’s original music score was composed by New Orleans native Brian Richburg, Jr. in collaboration with composer Tony Lechner.  The recipient of the 2016 ASCAP Foundation Louis Prima Award, Richburg attended New Orleans Charter Science and Mathematics High School and the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. He recently landed a four-year, full-tuition scholarship to the Berklee College of Music, and plans to pursue a career as a professional musician, songwriter, and producer.

You can learn more on the film's website, designed by FableVision. 

A Peek Inside