Like many homeschool parents, Brannon Hollingsworth found himself asking, “Why does quality educational content for kids have to be boring?”
Unlike most homeschool parents, Hollingsworth was in a position to do something about it — so he did.
Hollingsworth spent years as an award-winning animation director, screenwriter, and game designer.
In 2014, he left behind a lucrative career in that secular world to step out in faith to form Brainy Pixel Studios, a Christian animation and media production studio.
God has blessed those efforts.
Over the years, they’ve taken on dozens of projects for some of the biggest names in Christian media: Angel Studios, Answers in Genesis, Focus on the Family, and many more.
The company has built a team of animators, illustrators, writers, and voice actors who produce content kids love with a level of quality and biblical morality that makes Christian parents breathe a sigh of relief.
The secret to their success is creating great stories.
“Story is the way you shape culture,” Hollingsworth said. “Jesus knew that. The prince of the power of the air knows this, too — he knows media is a powerful tool.”
“My prayer is that we will take media back for King Jesus and use it for his good and his glory and his gospel.”
Their latest project, Mission Quest Academy, is geared toward Christian schools and Christian homeschoolers.
Brainy Pixel’s website describes it as “an interactive, faith-based learning platform that turns education into an adventure. Through animated stories, STEM lessons, biblical teaching, and game-style challenges, kids don’t just watch — they participate, explore, and grow.”
It’s aimed at kindergartners through fourth graders.
Mission Quest Academy draws students in with “gamified” learning — something 21st-century kids can relate to.
It was created with families and other age-integrated groups in mind, with family-style missions, tiered activities, sibling co-learning, and toddler-friendly printables.
Just like they do with other games they love, students earn points, collect awards, and customize avatars with pets, outfits, and hairstyles as they move up to their next “mission” by answering questions correctly about the videos they watch.
“Real game designers know that progression, challenges, and rewards work, because they’re how humans learn,” Hollingsworth said. “But most educational apps slap a points system on a worksheet and call it gamification. Mission Quest actually respects how kids’ brains work.”
Cost is based on the number of kids using the program, starting at $12.99 per month for one or two children. There’s a two-week free trial available at MissionQuestAcademy.com.
Tools are included to help parents easily track learning for determining grades and course credit.
Hollingsworth said there are talks in progress to expand the content from electives to a full curriculum in partnership with some well-known companies.
You might say Mission Quest Academy is the culmination of his life’s work.
“I spent years making content that entertained people and then disappeared,” Hollingsworth said. “Now, I’m building something that actually forms kids — their character, their thinking, their confidence. That’s the difference between a career and a calling.”
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