Academy of Thought and Industry at Fort Mason

Emily is an Arts and Art History educator who anchors her teaching through the visual. She received her Bachelors in Art History and Arts Education from the University of Illinois and her Masters in Visual and Critical Studies from the California College of Arts. In her Masters she studied the efficacy of ethnically specific arts exhibitions and how their presentation often signifies contemporary conflicts in museum practices. In her professional career she has worked at the Art Institute of Chicago in Museum Education, at notable San Francisco non-profit Root Division as the Education Director and at various schools both in San Francisco and New York City. She believes art is a means for understanding culture and a tool for creating community and comprehending the self and others. In her free time Emily enjoys being a mom and creating a life with her two young children and partner. She has a passion for nature, loves gardening, plants, flowers, and flower arranging. She is excited to bring her experience and passions into to Fort Mason this year and activate an appreciation for perception and visual thinking.

Nick Wagner is an Alum of K-8 Montessori education and has received a Bachelor’s of Applied Sciences in Environmental and Outdoor Education from the University of Minnesota Duluth. During his studies, he worked with schools, community centers, and private entities providing opportunities for students to explore the natural world and further their knowledge of the sciences and themselves. As a Program Director for an Environmental Learning Center, a Wilderness Therapy Instructor, and an Environmental Science Educator, Nick has guided students of all levels to better understand life sciences, earth and space sciences, ecosystems, engineering, climate and Social-Emotional Learning through adventure education, therapeutic education, and hands-on science curriculum. By learning and inspiring students, he has found his love for teaching through inquiry-based experiential and kinesthetic methods that engage all learners and inspire lifelong learning. Nick is excited to foster the skills, knowledge and experiences that the Montessori model has brought him for his students and future generations.

Tom Kramer bases his teaching philosophy on Jo Boaler’s Mindset Mathematics and endeavors to make math more visual, open, and creative. Before starting his teaching career in 2013, Tom had a 20+ year career as a marketing entrepreneur, started his own VC funded company, and received an MBA from Stanford. Tom loves teaching middle school math because young minds eagerly enjoy solving problems and thrill in the sense of mathematical accomplishment. By structuring interesting group problems designed to foster discussion, students turn their inquisitive nature into mathematics solving skills. Tom is a global traveler and a Warriors super-fan. His family lives in Palo Alto where his daughter (9th grade) and son (7th grade) attend school.