Garner Holt Foundation Empowers Youth Through STEAM, Animatronics, and Career Pathways in Redlands and Beyond

A Redlands-based company known globally for bringing animatronic characters to life at world-famous theme parks is also changing lives locally through immersive STEAM education for underserved youth.

Garner Holt Productions, which has developed hundreds of figures for every Disney and Universal theme park around the globe, hosted its 3rd Annual Fall Kickoff earlier this month at its Education Through Imagination headquarters. The event welcomed educators and San Bernardino County school district staff to experience how the organization merges creativity, technology, and education to shape the next generation of innovators.

“Tonight we highlighted our first responders, and that was the reason behind this night,” said Germaine Garcia-Kaufman, Executive Vice President of Business Development. “We know San Bernardino County has experienced a lot in regards to wildfires, and we wanted to recognize those on the front lines.”

The event aimed to bridge community leaders, educators, and local government agencies while showcasing the impact of Garner Holt’s educational arm.

“We service over 10,000 students throughout the year for education programs, tours, and hands-on projects,” Garcia-Kaufman said. “We are happy to announce that our company is now nationwide. We’ve opened a space in Kansas City and Florida, and are working in Connecticut, Vermont, and Dallas.”

Garner Holt Productions Vice President of Creative Development Bill Butler, who has been with the company for 20 years, said every animatronic character the company builds—from concept art to final installation—is made in-house at their 120,000-square-foot Redlands facility.

“Everything we create is made in-house, from original drawings to final giant structures and animatronic dogs, cats, mythological creatures, dragons, tiki birds—everything,” said Butler. “The only thing we don’t do here is powder coating and anodizing of steel.”

Known for building more than 500 Chuck E. Cheese animatronics, the company’s work has left an imprint on childhood experiences across the country. Butler said they’ve also developed and installed figures for iconic Southern California rides, including Knott’s Berry Farm’s Calico Mine Ride, Timber Mountain Log Ride, and Calico River Rapids, as well as Disneyland’s Adventureland Treehouse. Garner Holt also contributed to Universal Studios Hollywood’s “Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash” attraction, where riders take on the role of stray puppies on a journey toward adoption.

Sometimes clients approach with fully developed ideas tied to major intellectual properties, Butler explained. Other times, they’re given a blank slate. “Those are the ones that are really fun for us,” he said. “We’ve had clients say, ‘Here’s a black box and a budget—make something amazing.’”

That creative freedom recently inspired a new initiative with the San Bernardino County Library system, where Education Through Imagination is designing immersive storytelling environments at branches in Rialto and Chino Hills.

“We thought, wouldn’t it be fun if it’s not just a stage with a chair, but an immersive environment?” said Butler. “These are the first of their kind—very thematic, with special effects, animatronics, and video effects—to take the passive storytelling areas of yesteryear into the future.”

These storytelling spaces won’t just entertain—they’ll educate. Butler said the themes will center on regional history, local heroes, and classic literature presented in a high-tech format.

“We’ll have stories about local heroes, about technology developed in the region, and also classic stories that are part of the zeitgeist,” Butler said. “It’s a totally unique, high-tech way to teach kids.”

One of the most visually striking moments at this year’s Fall Kickoff was the official unveiling of the STEAM Dragons—animatronic characters developed by the design team to represent each letter of the STEAM acronym: science, technology, engineering, arts, and math.

Vivian Alvarado, a junior designer at Education Through Imagination, helped lead the creation of the dragons’ names, personalities, and educational purpose. She said the characters started as static figures that quickly captivated visitors—even before they had identities.

“Whenever we had first started bringing the dragons out without revealing their personalities, they were already getting so much attraction,” said Alvarado. “Kids were taking photos, adults were taking photos. We even did a mural of them inside our hallway.”

Seeing the response, the team decided to go further. “Once we started seeing the positive reinforcement, we decided to go ahead and give them personalities, names, and correspond with our education team as these STEAM dragons,” she said.

Alvarado said the design team collaborated to develop names that matched the dragons’ perceived traits—Toggle, Nova, Easel, Axis, and Edge—each aligning with a specific subject area.

“We started realizing, like, this one just looks goofy. We want him to be the goofy one. Headphones fit him so well—Toggle would be perfect for that,” she said. “Nova felt more science-based, especially with the lab coat. The others followed naturally as we matched their physical attributes with their learning style.”

She emphasized that the goal is to create characters that students can connect with on a personal level.

“Maybe a student one day is going to say, I love technology and I correlate with Toggle, or I love mathematics and relate with Axis, art with Easel, engineering with Edge, and science with Nova,” said Alvarado. “If someone has that kind of connection with one of these dragons, we’re hoping that will help lead them to choose a future career.”

As the program develops, the dragons will be integrated into digital content and in-person instruction to engage younger learners through character-driven storytelling. Butler said this approach helps visual learners, especially those who may struggle to see themselves in traditional STEM pathways.

“When STEAM is just an acronym, it can feel abstract,” said Butler. “But when it’s a dragon with a name, a personality, a face—it becomes approachable, memorable, and exciting.”

On November 8, the Garner Holt Foundation will host the “Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow Gala” to support its nonprofit educational programs. The event will feature celebrity panelists sharing behind-the-scenes stories from Disneyland’s 70-year history and will also mark the grand opening of “Garner’s Garage,” a creative lab designed to offer underserved and at-risk youth access to STEAM learning.

“It’s a place where children can come to be dreamers and doers,” said Leanne Chavez of the Garner Holt Foundation. “It’s the heart of our foundation.”

Proceeds from the gala will fund free STEAM education for youth through the foundation’s own programs and in partnership with organizations like Redlands Family Services, Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, and the Boys and Girls Clubs.

“The mission of the Garner Holt Foundation is to provide STEAM education opportunities to at-risk, underserved youth who would not otherwise have any opportunity to learn hands-on skills,” Chavez said. “These children are exposed to 65 different career paths that can instill in them hope for their future.”

Chavez said the foundation surveys participants before and after program completion to measure impact.

“Post surveys show over 90% of the children identify a career path that interests them—something they never knew about before,” she said. “And 99.9% say they have more hope for their future.”

Many students are first introduced to animatronics through Chuck E. Cheese, which Chavez said is often more accessible to low-income families than Disneyland. That connection is used to demystify the industry and show kids that jobs in animatronics are within reach.

“They find out that part of making an animatronic might be writing a script, molding clay, or creating a light show,” Chavez said. “And many of these careers don’t require college. It builds their confidence that they can do tough, difficult things.”

The programs, Chavez added, start with foundational skills. “Some high schoolers come in and don’t know what a Phillips screwdriver is,” she said. “Garner was inspired by his shop classes in school. Most kids don’t have that anymore. Many don’t even have a garage.”

Garner’s Garage aims to fill that gap—starting with hands-on learning using simple tools and progressing to laser cutters, CNC machines, and advanced fabrication equipment. Chavez said they’re already seeing success in students as young as six.

“When they start, many of them lack confidence or seem to carry sadness. By the end of the session, they’re talking with peers, excited and more self-assured,” she said. “It’s all about believing in themselves and someone giving them the opportunity.”

For Garner Holt Productions and the foundation behind it, animatronics aren’t just about amusement. They’re a gateway to career pathways, confidence, and hope.