Digital Academy: SideQuest 

Are you fascinated by emerging technologies and looking to unleash your creative potential?

SideQuest offers creativity-focused labs tailor-made for you!

Once a month, one of our highly skilled Creative Technologist will help guide the exploration of specific topics within a focus area.

There are 3 focus areas:

  • Digital Painting

  • Media and Animation

  • 3D Exploration

Each focus area will have 3 related topics to explore over the duration of the Side Quest with other learners.

  • The learning environment will feel like a exploration game.

  • 

Learners will be expected to work on challenges on their own time between Side Quest Sessions.



  • Participants will be able to keep in touch on a private Discord channel between sessions, and will be able to work with IOB Creative Technologists throughout the entire experience.

Each SideQuest aims to teach people how to teach themselves, as well as how to interact with emerging technologies while unleashing the group's full creative potential.

Choose from Digital Painting, Media and 3D tracks

Digital Painting Track

Topics: Isometric Painting in Procreate; Painting Plants in Procreate; Concept Environments in Procreate 
Offered: Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Time: 4:00 - 6:00 pm CST
Date: 9/17 & 18, 10/8 & 9, 10/29 & 30
Duration: Six sessions over three months
Format: Hybrid (Online and In-person at the UWM Lubar Entrepreneurship Center: 2100 E Kenwood Blvd, Milwaukee, WI 53211)
Price: $600/Workshop
Technology Requirements: See the requirements here.

Because Digital Academy has prerequisites for participation, please email our education team to discuss your student and their interest prior to registering them for their first class.

New to Islands of Brilliance?
We’d love to help. Connect with Us before registering!

Media & Animation Track

Topics: Animated Facepainting in Procreate; Exploring Character Animator; Exploring Adobe Animate 
Offered: Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Time: 4:00 - 6:00 pm CST
Date: 10/1 & 2, 10/22 & 23, 11/12 & 13
Duration: Six sessions over three months
Format: Hybrid (Online and In-person at the UWM Lubar Entrepreneurship Center: 2100 E Kenwood Blvd, Milwaukee, WI 53211)
Price: $600/Workshop
Technology Requirements: See the requirements here.

Because Digital Academy has prerequisites for participation,
please email our education team to discuss your student and their interest prior to registering them for their first class.

New to Islands of Brilliance?
We’d love to help. Connect with Us before registering!

3D Modeling Track

Topics: Environmental Grayboxing in Blender; Painterly Textures in Blender; Avatars in Spline 
Offered: Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Time: 4:00 - 6:00 pm CST
Date: 9/24 & 25, 10/15 & 16, 11/5 & 6
Duration: Six sessions over three months
Format: Hybrid (Online and In-person at the UWM Lubar Entrepreneurship Center: 2100 E Kenwood Blvd, Milwaukee, WI 53211)
Price: $600/Workshop
Technology Requirements: See the requirements here.

Because Digital Academy has prerequisites for participation, please email our education team to discuss your student and their interest prior to registering them for their first class.

New to Islands of Brilliance?
We’d love to help. Connect with Us before registering!

What Do Students Learn In SideQuest?

  • SideQuest aims to teach people how to teach themselves

  • Participants Learn technical software (such as: Procreate, Mental Canvas, Adobe Express, Procreate Dreams, Spline, Nomad, etc.)

  • Participants make creative work that helps build their resume & portfolio

  • Students establish meaningful community and professional connection

What are the Minimum Skill Levels required?

Side Quest Examples

  • Pixel Effects in Procreate

  • 3D Poster Exploration

  • AR Facepainting

  • 3D Character Design

  • AR Monuments with Aero

  • Procreate Animations

  • Collaborative 3D Modeling

Fall 2024 Sidequests

Digital Painting: Mastery with Procreate

(9/17-18, 10/8-9, 10/29-30)

Step into the world of Digital Painting and bring your creative visions to life using Procreate. Each month introduces a unique creative challenge. You’ll begin by exploring isometric painting techniques in Procreate, then learn to bring the natural world to life by painting plants. The final challenge tests your skills by designing immersive concept environments. This track calls to those ready to push their digital-painting boundaries, gaining digital techniques with each quest.

Media & Animation: From Faces to Frames

(10/1-2, 10/22-23, 11/12-13)

For those drawn to movement and storytelling, Media & Animation offers a dive into the world of dynamic visuals. You’ll start by animating facepaint in Procreate, turning illustrations into lively expressions. Next, explore Adobe Character Animator, learning to bring your characters to life in real time. Finally, take your first steps into Adobe Animate and create rich, interactive animations. This track is perfect for anyone eager to explore how art, motion, and interactivity combine.

3D Exploration: From Grayboxes to Avatars

(9/24-25, 10/15-16, 11/5-6)

Dive into the realm of 3D with a journey through world-building, textures, and character creation. Begin by rapidly creating environments by gray boxing in Blender, laying the groundwork for immersive worlds. In another path, learners will investigate painterly texturing techniques to add artistic flair to their models. Another challenge asks participants to create avatars ready for virtual spaces using a web3D platform called Spline. The 3D Exploration track is designed for those who want to transform ideas into tangible, interactive realities using 3D Modeling.

Program Outcomes

  • Encourage lifelong learning and curiosity

  • Improve social skills and communication abilities

  • A feeling of connection within a community of peers

  • Develop new skills and knowledge in emerging creative technologies

  • Promote community-oriented and mindful behavior

  • Increased confidence to share their ideas and what they produce

This Program is a Good Fit For

  • The SideQuest collaborative learning labs are exclusively designed for neurodivergent individuals aged 14+ who have already proven their mettle by successfully completing IOB programming. Undertaking this expedition takes explorers on an exhilarating investigation of advanced software and techniques using computers and iPads.

  • Learn more about Side Quest skill levels here.

Technology Needed

Media Track Requirements:

  • Desktop or Laptop computer 

  • iPad and Apple Pencil 

  • Adobe Creative Cloud Membership

    • Adobe Photoshop

    • Adobe Illustrator

    • Adobe Character Animator 

    • Adobe Animate 

  • Procreate on the iPad 

  • Figma for Desktop

  • Chrome on the Desktop / iPad

  • Discord on the Desktop / iPad

  • Webcam, Headphones, and Microphone 

    *Make sure all the permissions to share your screen and use your mic/camera are set up on both devices in Zoom.

Digital Painting Track Requirements:

  • Desktop or Laptop computer 

  • iPad and Apple Pencil 

  • Procreate on the iPad 

  • Figma for Desktop

  • Chrome on the Desktop / iPad 

  • Discord on the Desktop / iPad 

  • Adobe ID (Not a creative cloud account)

  • Webcam, Headphones, and Microphone 

    *Make sure all the permissions to share your screen and use your mic/camera are set up on both devices in Zoom.

3D Track Requirements:

  • Desktop or Laptop computer 

  • Webcam, Headphones, Microphone, and 3 Button Mouse 

  • iPad and Apple Pencil 

  • Procreate on the iPad 

  • Blender for Desktop

  • Figma for Desktop

  • Chrome on the Desktop / iPad  

  • Discord on the Desktop / iPad   

    *Make sure all the permissions to share your screen and use your mic/camera are set up on both devices in Zoom.

Frequently Asked Questions about SideQuests

  • SideQuest is Hybrid (online and in-person). We ask that students pick a modality (in person or online) when they sign up so IOB can allocate technology and support where needed. If a student needs to stay home and can participate virtually (and they have the required hardware and software), they may do so with prior communication that alerts the IOB of the change.

  • Digital Academy uses creative technologies and community as a bridge to Social Emotional Learning (SEL) development. All DA programs assume that the student can work with some level of independence in a group setting with roaming support by IOB staff including IOB Creative Technologists, Mentors, and/or Special Educators.

    Students who need one-to-one support may find other IOB programs – such as Foundation Workshops – a better fit. Please contact the IOB Team (connect@islandsofbrilliance.org) if you have specific questions regarding the support your student may need.

  • SideQuest: is offered on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 4:00-6:00 pm CST. for 3 consecutive months.

  • SideQuest students are expected to continue experimenting or incorporating their new knowledge and know-how into their current and future projects. While not expected, students have the opportunity for continued growth and support through FigJam boards dedicated to the topic. This encourages them to continue learning related skills on their own time.

  • Typically, no. Our goal is to give students the ability to gain confidence over time as they respond to the challenges. There is quite a bit of support from students and mentors throughout workshops, which feels like partnering. Depending on the situation, a mentor may allow for limited partnerships to form.

  • Students get a badge ring when they enter DA Programming with slots for earning badges. These badges indicate each student's level of engagement and are not representative of any rank. Each Side Quest program has a unique badge that's earned when a student completes the program. Additionally, there are secondary badges associated with each Side Quest. These are achieved by sharing efforts related to the badge in the Side Quest. All Side Quest badges are given by IOB staff at the end of the program. Missed badges can be earned by working on prior projects and sharing the effort with chris@islandsofbrilliance.org.

  • No. DA sessions are not recorded. Attendance is critical to success. However, IOB understands sometimes unexpected circumstances and calendar conflicts arise. IOB will work with families where possible.

    Missed Side Quest sessions cannot be made up. Students who miss a night but want a badge must do the work independently and share it with chris@islandsofbrilliance.org to validate and award the badge. If the Side Quest has to be canceled by the instructor(s), it will be rescheduled at a later date.

  • Each SideQuest program is a unique learning lab across several sessions. Each session focuses on a specific aspect of a general topic and is not sequential. However, by signing up for any Side Quest in a topic, students gain access to the tutorials of all other Side Quest programs in that topic's Figjam board. IOB's Creative Technologist Team curates a list of outstanding resources focused on Digital Painting, Character Development, and creativity in 3D.

  • Click on the registration button above for the class that you are interested in.

  • Chris Willey, the Director of Technology at IOB, is the main person behind all Digital Academy programming. Please email chris@islandsofbrilliance.org with questions.

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