Meet the Teacher: Emmitt Higley

Minecraft STEM Classes

At The HeART Collective, our teachers aren’t just instructors — they’re people who show up every week because they genuinely love what they do. Today we’d like you to meet Emmitt Higley, who teaches our Minecraft class here at The HeART Collective in Payson, UT. Emmitt is 14 years old, has logged over 5,000 hours in Minecraft, and is currently training to become a pilot. Yes, really. We sat down with him and this is what he had to say.

He knows more than you'd think

I’ve been teaching the Minecraft class for about two years now. Honestly, I’ve spent over 5,000 hours in Minecraft, and with a little coaxing from my mom, I started teaching it. At first it was kind of intimidating — but I quickly realized how much I actually knew and could share with other people.

What I love most about teaching it is that Minecraft is packed with STEM concepts. From the outside it just looks like a game, but when you really get into it, you start seeing all the real-world stuff it teaches. Kids who play Minecraft are learning science, technology, engineering, and math — they just don’t realize it. That’s the fun part for me. I get to help people discover their own creativity while learning stuff that actually helps them understand how the universe works.

What to Know Before You Come In

A basic understanding of how computers work helps — especially knowing how to use a keyboard. But honestly? Just show up excited to learn and I’ll help you with everything else.

My teaching style is interactive, fun, and interesting. That’s really it. I want everyone to have a good time and actually learn something without it feeling like school.

When He's Not in Minecraft, He's in the Sky

Outside of teaching, I’m training to become a pilot. My uncle is a captain for Southwest Airlines and he’s pretty much the reason I got obsessed with planes. A few years ago I got to go up in a single prop engine airplane through the Young Eagles flight program — it was just me and the pilot up there, floating through the sky — and he even let me fly it a little. That was it for me. I was hooked.

Since then I’ve put in hundreds of hours flying planes in simulators. Now I’m enrolled in the Path to Pilot program and have flown over 30 hours in a virtual Cessna 172. And recently I got to fly a real training airplane from take-off to landing. It felt amazing.

This summer I’ll also be helping out with the Intro to Aviation Camp at The HeART Collective, which is pretty cool because it kind of brings both of my worlds together.

To the Parents Reading This

If you’re a parent wondering “should I really sign my kid up to learn how to play a video game?” — yes. You should sign your kid up to learn how to play a game that teaches them science, technology, engineering, and math while they’re having fun doing it.

Our brains learn best when the tools we use are fun and engaging. I want everyone to experience what it’s like to dream something up and then actually create it from scratch.

This is honestly one of the best classes at The HeART Collective because it teaches so many skills at the same time — and we trick our brains into learning because it’s fun.

Check out classes offered by Emmitt Higley at The HeART Collective and give your child the chance to build confidence, think creatively, and bring their ideas to life.