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.

After Jessica Lane received a bachelor’s degree from Chapman University, she became dedicated to exploring the process of personal growth and the gap in adolescent self-development support. Jessica became certified in mindfulness, integrative wellness, and life coaching, yoga, and therapeutic drumming, and began teaching youth using these techniques. Jessica then decided to earn her Masters in Teaching and her Single Subject Credential in English from Loyola Marymount University. She is currently a student in the LMU Masters in Education program. She has worked one-on-one and in class settings with diverse groups of students from Montessori Schools to Boys and Girls Clubs to homeschool organizations. Jessica now focuses on creating course curricula from the lens of mindfulness and individualized learning to produce an atmosphere of thriving individual development, and integrative, improved education programs. She is excited to be guiding Humanities at Academy of Thought and Industry, Fort Mason. She looks forward to providing self-directed, activity-based lessons that encourage self-exploration and community awareness along with a culture of work and knowledge so that the next generation can cultivate thriving communities and healthy change.

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.