About Us
We are a team of educators and industry professionals eager to become part of your team serving students, educators, and the community.
Meet the Garner Holt Education Through Imagination Team
The People Behind the Magic
A Message from Garner Holt
``For me, it's a dream come true.``
I wholeheartedly believe that much of my company’s success is attributed to my shop classes in high school and the teachers who recognized my interests, talents and passions. These teachers who provided me with the freedom and flexibility to learn in the way that I learned best, and allowed me to learn through real-world problems and projects that interested me; projects that fostered my creativity and imagination. This is the reason we’ve created Education through Imagination, an education company working to support the STEAM education and career exploration initiatives of districts, schools and classrooms.
I know we’ll continue to bring smiles, thrills, scares, and wonder to theme park guests worldwide. Now, we’re excited to work alongside educators with a goal of helping students discover their own interests, talents and passions through hands-on, real-world learning experiences. For me, it’s a dream come true.
Garner Holt
President of Garner Holt Productions
“Imagination, not just in the sense of creativity, but that students will be able to imagine a future brighter than the one they currently envision” – Garner L. Holt
Sarah Emerson
Sarah Emerson is Director of Creative Learning for Garner Holt Education through Imagination. A highly regarded teacher with more than 15 years’ experience, Sarah was instrumental in the development of her elementary school’s makerspace and makerspace curriculum, which emphasized constructivist pedogogy, hands-on learning and technical skill application, and significant practice with a wide array of 21st Century professional learning skills. Sarah is a G.A.T.E. certified, Stanford Fab Fellow with an expert ability to coach and mentor makerspace teachers to become leaders of learning on their campuses, and to help other teachers understand how opportunities within the makerspace can lead to high levels of student achievement aligned with grade level and content learning standards. Sarah leads Education through Imagination’s professional development department, which include courses that teach educators of all levels how coding, robotics, engineering and art can be incorporated into daily lesson and thematic unit planning, and across all subject areas.
Chandler Grino
Chandler Grino is the In-Person Students Programs Coordinator for Garner Holt Education through Imagination. Working in close collaboration with our Director of Creative Learning, Chandler coordinates and facilitates all in-person opportunities for students at our facility and on school campuses. Chandler is dedicated to creating and implementing new and exciting programs to ensure students will have a one-of-a-kind experience. As a former character performer, Chandler brings her energy and excitement to the instructional stage as she engages students through the magical programs we offer. With more than 5 years’ experience leading students in high quality expanded learning, Chandler is a natural teacher who combines high expectations with support, care, and sincere appreciation for each and every student she serves. Chandler is a leader and role model for all students she encounters, and she brings this into every lesson and activity she coordinates and presents.
Danya Morales
Danya Morales is a Student Programs Coordinator for Virtual Field Trips and Workshops at Garner Holt Education Through Imagination. Working in close collaboration with our Director of Creative learning, Danya specializes in the planning and development of high-quality virtual learning programs, and brings an abundance of leadership and instructional experience gained from years of working in community-based programs and after school expanded learning. With a degree in Applied Math from the University of California, Riverside, Danya utilizes her knowledge in mathematical concepts, computer science, and engineering practices to develop S.T.E.A.M. Learning and Career Exploration hands-on activities designed for TK-12 scholars as well as the lesson plans used to facilitate them. In addition to experiential learning programs, Danya assists our Director of Creative Learning to create professional development workshops that teach educators how to incorporate coding, robotics, engineering, and art into daily lessons and thematic unit planning for classroom instruction.
Brittany Payne
Brittney Payne is the Creative Curriculum and Professional Development Specialist at Garner Holt Education Through Imagination. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biological science and Single Subject Credential in Biology Specialized from California State University, Fullerton, and her CTE Credential in Health and Medical Science Technologies. Brittany was a public school teacher at Fontana High School for seven years. Five of those years were spent teaching Biology and Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) and the last two were spent teaching Bio-Animatronics and Neuro-Prosthetics. She is very passionate about learning and hope to inspire teachers and students to love learning as well.
Yuliana Gonzalez
Yuliana Gonzalez is Instructional Materials Specialist for Garner Holt Education through Imagination. With a keen and expert ability to manage a vast system of products and parts, Yuliana ensures our customers receive the correct products, on time, and in the highest quality condition. Moreover, extensive organization and materials management is necessary for our field trip and offsite assembly programs, which Yuliana directly supports in her role as well. Yuliana is also a critical member of the Garner Holt AniMakerspace installation team and is responsible for the acquisition, preparation and quality control of materials included in the physical construction and aesthetics of each environment we create.
Ayin Alicea
Ayin Alicea is a Creative Learning Specialist for Garner Holt Education Through Imagination. Working in collaboration with the Creative Learning team, Ayin hosts in-person and virtual programs. Ayin uses their skills in traditional art, prop making, 3D design, and physical modeling to aid, educate, and inspire students in these programs. Currently completing their degree in architecture, Ayin assists in designing and advising in new makerspaces on school campuses. Additionally, Ayin assists in educational projects and softwares designed to teach educators the fundamentals of animatronics.
Maria Rodriguez-Arias
Maria Rodriguez-Arias is a Creative Learning Specialist for Garner Holt Education Through Imagination. She excels at leading future generations in S.T.E.A.M. programs with career exploration through the magic of animatronics, storytelling and imagination for either in-person or virtual instruction. With a degree in Communication Studies at Cal State San Bernardino, Maria uses her knowledge to help scholars understand concepts in robotics, coding, engineering and art to make connections in the real-world by guiding them to discover their interests, talents and passions. She highlights the importance of gaining hands-on experience and getting out of their normal comfort zone. Maria brings bilingual expertise as a translator to Education Through Imagination as a native Spanish speaker with a California State Seal of Bi-literacy.
Jeremy Bishop
Jeremy Bishop is a Creative Learning Specialist supporting both in-person and virtual instruction and factory tours for Garner Holt Education Through Imagination. He brings to ETI a varied background of traditional fabrication skills from the movie, special effects and toy design industries along with digital skills in animation, educational software, web design/coding. Drawing from this wide palette of skills, he helps guide and encourage scholars through creative S.T.E.A.M. problem-solving with the goal of inspiring curious minds towards previously unconsidered possibilities. Jeremy is a life-long learner who finds inspiration in the combination of technology and art, a meeting point which is at the root of animatronics and themed attraction creation. Jeremy also manages the Garner Holt Education Through Imagination website.
Steve Nevin
Steve Nevin is a Creative Learning Specialist for Garner Holt Education Through Imagination. Working closely with scholars of differing age groups, Steve enjoys teaching the history of animatronics while highlighting the many careers one could strive for in the theme park industry. He is able to make S.T.E.A.M. education informative and enjoyable for all ages, both on camera and in person. Whether giving tours on the factory floor of Garner Holt Productions, or teaching lessons on science and technology in the classroom, Steve is always eager to share his knowledge of the industry. Regardless of the type of career a scholar may strive for, Steve is always ready and excited to help guide the theme park builders, artists, and engineers of the future.
Scott Nevin
Scott Nevin is a Creative Technologies Specialist for Garner Holt Education through Imagination. Self-taught in multiple disciplines, Scott brings incredible versatility in both traditional and modern fabrication techniques. Scott has more than 7 years of technical skills experience with electronics, coding, and animatronics. Moreover, Scott possesses high levels of artistic skill in painting, woodworking, and mold making. With a lifelong passion for animatronics, Scott assists in the development of educational projects designed to teach animatronic fundamentals up to advanced animatronic projects to both students and educators. In addition to product design and development, Scott is an expert in our makerspace machinery and equipment, educating all levels of students and teachers about their use for creating engaging new projects and lesson plans.
Jordan Greenstein
Jordan Greenstein is Creative Technologies Specialist for Garner Holt Education through Imagination. Specializing in complex production designs, including lighting, sound and physical construction, Jordan brings a wealth of knowledge and experience for how to create dynamic environments in any setting, and for any occasion. Adding to our program offerings, Jordan facilitates courses in production design for educators as well, which educates and empowers teachers to become their school’s technical expert for all audio/visual necessities. In addition, Jordan serves as lead technician overseeing our animatronics for education and is responsible for ensuring each figure we create is functioning at an optimal level before arriving on a school campus.
Chuck Taylor
Chuck Taylor is a Creative Technologies Specialist for Garner Holt Education Through Imagination, specializing in support of machine and equipment installation and maintenance for our AnimakerSpace customers and in-house labs. He also helps train school and district staff on the proper use of 3D printers, laser engravers, CNC and conventional lathe and milling equipment as well as associated software. Chuck has 4 years’ classroom experience teaching in a STEM environment as well as traditional manufacturing training experience that he draws on when working with students during on-site classes and camps. He is a professional level user of Solidworks, Mastercam CAD/CAM and CorelDraw software packages. Chuck has a background in construction, automotive mechanics and has previously worked with a NASCAR racing team
Teamwork turns dreams into reality
Let's inspire the new generation and shape the future of learning
together
Meaningful Support
We are committed to helping you reach your goals with high quality professional learning and capacity building strategies that make STEAM learning a centerpiece of your school culture.
Individualized Professional Learning
We utilize coaching, modeling and co-teaching to help educators develop and integrate constructionist pedagogy into their lesson planning and instruction.
Incredible Impact
We know how to help you inspire your students to imagine and innovate through design-based, hands-on learning experiences that celebrate curiosity, creativity, and intuition, and that help your school reach higher levels of academic achievement.
“The PUSD Pathways Department is proud and honored to work in partnership with Garner Holt Education through Imagination. We believe there is no better way to empower students’ futures then to put real world experiences in their hands and allow them to be innovative and inspired.”
Cynthia G Brown, PUSD Director of Pathways
We Work with Educators and Administrators to Inspire a New Generation of Innovators
Teamwork brings ideas to life.
We embrace a philosophy of coaching, mentoring, observation, and co-teaching in our professional learning programs with educators. As a result, we are able to work collaboratively with educators to identify the goals, objectives and instructional strategies that are most important for the students being served. Our commitment is to helping you maximize the learning for your students and to inspire creativity, invention and entrepreneurship for the future.
Contact us to learn more about how we work with educators of all kinds and at all levels to create standards-aligned, rigorous lessons that lead to increases in both math and language arts achievement by focusing on hope for the future and engagement with their learning!
75000
Students Served3000
Teachers Served110
Districts Served99999
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