[Church]

There's tons of tutorials available on the internet, in addition to the stuff that comes with the program. I'd start with the Autodesk tutorials, and try out a little of everything so each student can figure out what they're good at. It takes a lot of practice and patience to feel like you really know what you're doing, and there's a number of aspects to the program.

I've found it's best to avoid characters/animals/organic shapes when you're starting out. People are difficult to model and to animate, no matter how cartoony you make them; you'll just give yourself a headache if you're not comfortable with the program.

Get good at choosing, creating, and applying materials. A good material will make a very simple, low-poly object look fantastic, and a bad material can make a detailed object look like blah.

My one last piece of advice is to study or find a student who has studied photography or videography. Framing a good shot is important to make your animation look professional and not like just some 3d items strewn about the place.

Good luck! It takes dedication, but when you love animating, it feels more like play than work. Can't wait to see your submission!