Education

Trees For Life Branching Out. The non-profit organization Trees for Life has recently moved into a new building in Wichita, Kansas. The organization, which helps people in impoverished places around the world utilize trees for nourishment, uses animated films to educate people. Animators Frédéric Back and Becky Wible have visited Trees for Life's headquarters to give animation workshops to their staff and supervise production of educational animated films. Trees for Life is now looking for "animation missionaries" to volunteer to teach animation in developing areas, such as Allahabad, India, where a video studio is currently being built. Donations of animation supplies, as well as volunteers are also welcome. For information, visit www.treesforlife.org or call (316) 945-6929.

Animation World Magazine's March 1997 issue features an article by Heather Kenyon about Trees for Life.

DHIMA & AIA Form Alliance. Two Los Angeles-area animation training programs, DH Institute of Media Arts (DHIMA) and Associates in Art (AIA), have joined forces to create Associates in Art Westside, a new 11-week program starting in October 1998. AIA Westside classes such as figure drawing, storyboarding, layout, background and character design will be held at DHIMA's facilities in Santa Monica. For information on the program, call (310) 899-9377.

Ken O'Connor Scholarship Fund Update. In follow up to the obituary of legendary Disney layout artist Kendall O'Connor, we are pleased to announce that the Kendall O'Connor Animation Scholarship Fund has already received more than $3,000 in donations. The address to which donations may be sent, which was not established at the time of that publication, is:

Kendall O'Connor Animation Scholarship Fund
PO Box 3535
1634 North San Fernando Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91508-3535

Additional information about the fund can be obtained by calling Mary Alice O'Connor at (213) 849-1728.

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