The Georgia office of SparkPoint Innovations opened in October of 2012 when The Big Canyon Balloon was introduced to the Southeast region for the first time. One year later, Orbit Earth Expo debuted in Georgia and has been a big hit ever since. Rocky and Orb have taught Georgia Standards of Excellence aligned in-school science programs all over the state. Teachers love to have our programs back year after year as introductions, culminations, or Georgia Milestone support.
Georgia’s programs are taught by Ginny Rushing and Stephanie Mathewson, certified teachers with passions for interactive, authentic learning!
With our huge, patented cold air canyon, we fast forward into the future to see how nature’s forces change our 15 ft tall canyon model. Students debate fast versus slow changes to the earth while they experience weathering, erosion and deposition. They participate to create landforms including a barrier island, a sand dune, and a delta. Forces causing erosion are explored as we pause to compare rocks and minerals – what is the difference? What are types of rocks we know and how are those formed? Inside the canyon, students will discover a fossil record and an oil deposit. What are the fossils telling the explorers about the relative age of these layers? How did the oil form? Is it a renewable or non-renewable natural resource? The answers to these questions and much more will be discovered during out unforgettable, interactive earth science programs for each grade level.
Students journey into space to create and experience the cycles, systems and relationships between the earth, moon and sun using our huge, inflatable Earth model and scale-sized moon. While interacting with the inflatable representations in a darkened gymnasium with a light to represent the sun, students manipulate the models to experience eclipses, seasonal/lunar cycles, creation of winds, day/night cycles, tides, rotation vs revolution, physical characteristics of the earth, moon and sun, gravity, order of the planets, seasons and more! The Orbit Earth Expo Program correlates to the state and grade level science objectives. There are different age-appropriate programs for each grade level.
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Ginny RushingOwner & Lead Teacher, Georgia Ginny was born in North Carolina and raised in Kentucky and Ohio, before returning to North Carolina to attend high school and college. After earning bachelor’s degrees in elementary education and psychology from Meredith College, Ginny taught elementary school in North Carolina and Texas. Ginny ultimately landed in Georgia and began SparkPoint Innovations, the company which brings the Big Canyon Balloon and Orbit Earth Expo in-school science programs to schools in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Minnesota. Ginny is married and lives in Alpharetta, Georgia with her two sons, two stepsons, and an ill-behaved geriatric beagle. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors, hiking, and reading. |
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Bailey AndersonGeorgia Lead Teacher, Big Canyon Balloon Bailey was born in Wisconsin and lived in many places growing up including Connecticut, Singapore and Minnesota. She attended Clemson University, earning her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education. She began her teaching career in Alpharetta, Georgia. She continued moving around in her adult life and lived in Virginia Beach, Savannah and back to Minnesota before returning to Georgia. Bailey currently lives in Cumming with her husband, three sons and two dogs. When she isn’t teaching, you can find her whipping something up in the kitchen, cheering on her boys at their sporting events or curling up with a cup of coffee catching up on the latest episode of This Is Us. |
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Stephanie MathewsonGeorgia Lead Teacher, Orbit Earth Expo Stephanie was born and raised in Upstate New York. She attended State University of New York College at Oneonta, where she received her BA in Elementary Education. Stephanie went on to earn her MS in Special Education from The College of Saint Rose. She began her teaching career in Liverpool, NY and taught for 10 years at the elementary level. Stephanie relocated this past year to Georgia with her husband of 14 years and their two school-age daughters. She loves all that the south has to offer, especially the sunny weather and lack of snow! Stephanie is excited to join the SparkPoint team, which allows her to continue to pursue her passion for education. |
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Amy CooleyGeorgia Support Teacher: Orbit Earth Expo & Big Canyon Balloon Amy was born in Tennessee, spent most her youth in Alabama, and then graduated high school in Texas. She graduated from the University of Oklahoma. She began her teaching career with Sylvan Learning Centers working with students ages 6 to 18 on math and reading. Wanting to be in the classroom, she then taught middle school math in Texas and Maryland. She also taught college math in North Carolina. Amy joined SparkPoint Innovations 2 years ago. She now lives in Cumming, GA with her husband and three children. In her free time, she enjoys watching her kids in their activities, college football, movies, and antagonizing her cat, Mavis, with a laser pointer. |
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Gabrielle MillsGeorgia Support Teacher: Orbit Earth Expo Gabrielle was born and raised in California. She graduated from California State University, Sacramento with a BA in Liberal Studies and a minor in Art. After getting married, she moved to Kansas City, Missouri where she earned a BA in Elementary Education from the University of Missouri, Kansas City. Her husband’s job brought them to Texas in 1998, where she taught First Grade for the Lewisville Independent School District. She was the math advocate for her school, as well as the Science trainer for her school when they adopted new textbooks. After having two children, she decided to become a stay-at-home mom. Gabrielle currently lives in Johns Creek, Georgia with her husband, two children and three dogs. She enjoys playing tennis, watching old movies, painting, and playing more tennis. |
