HERUS Animation
HERUS is producing an educational animated series for children ages 8–12 — the real lives of influential Black figures across science, math, engineering, politics, civil rights, business, and exploration. Household names and forgotten ones alike.
The format
Each episode runs 5–6 minutes, built as four roughly 90-second segments made for the platforms this age group already lives in — YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and TikTok.
Every segment ends on a cliffhanger, so kids keep watching and keep learning. And because each segment also stands on its own as a shareable short, one episode becomes four ways in.
Episode 1 · Nelson Mandela
The arc
A repeatable structure that turns a real life into something kids can’t stop watching.
Open on the dramatic moment, posed as a question.
Who they were and the obstacle they faced — cut right before the turn.
The achievement, made crystal-clear for a 10-year-old.
How it reaches kids’ lives today, closing on a “you can too” beat.
Why it matters
Most kids can’t name a Black inventor, mathematician, or explorer beyond one or two figures. HERUS gives them a dozen and more.
Short vertical video is the medium this age group already uses every day. The series uses it to deliver something real.
Distributed free on the platforms kids already watch, with classroom-friendly versions for teachers and librarians.
Famous names sit beside forgotten ones, expanding the canon instead of retelling the same three stories.
The subjects
A growing slate spanning science, engineering, civil rights, business, and exploration — chosen for range across fields and eras. The first episode profiles Nelson Mandela.