Educators

For our Educators

As the East Coasts only conference dedicated to expanding the use of Small Satellites in the classroom, please join us for this unique opportunity to learn from the best industry veterans on just how you can start your own small satellite program or how to expand on one you are already running.

Additionally, this conference provides you with the following

Opportunity to network with like minded peers
Give back to your students
Identify contacts to supporting funding requests
Free access to the KSC Visitors Complex

SmallSat Education Innovators Challenge

Bringing Space to Your Classroom!

We are excited to announce an Educator Contest designed to inspire middle and high school educators to integrate authentic aerospace experiences into their curricula. In partnership with the SmallSat Education Conference, the Wolfpack CubeSat Development Team, and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, we invite you to submit your innovative lesson plans, challenges, activities, or demonstrations that incorporate content related to incorporating high altitude balloons, ThinSats, CubeSats, and PocketQubes in the classrooms of middle and high school students. A total of $5,000 in prizes will be awarded to the challenge winners.

Contest Overview

Purpose: Empower educators to develop and implement STEM learning experiences that simulate real-world aerospace projects. Your submission should include practical, hands-on elements which may include soldering, coding, amateur radio operations, satellite simulations, and the assembly and operation of CubeSat hardware.

Who Can Enter: Middle and high school formal or informal educators (6th – 12th grades) interested in bringing authentic aerospace and small satellite technology into the classroom.

Submission Types:

Lesson Plan: A comprehensive curriculum plan that integrates aerospace concepts and hands-on activities.
Activity: A stand alone classroom activity focusing on one or more elements (e.g., soldering, coding, or satellite assembly).
Demonstration: A live or recorded demonstration that showcases a mini-project related to CubeSat, ThinSat, PocketQube, or high altitude balloon launches.
Challenge: A hands-on aerospace-related classroom contest where students solve an open-ended problem within given constraints.

Submission Guidelines:

Provide a detailed outline including objectives, materials needed, step-by-step procedures, and expected learning outcomes.
Highlight any hands-on components (soldering, coding projects, amateur radio usage, hardware assembly, etc.).
Digital submissions should be in PDF format and limited to a single 10 MB file size.
Indicate the alignment of the submitted lessons to the Next Generation Science Standards or an individual state’s science standards.
Upload your submission at https://forms.gle/z29WSiLV21i9hjQi6

Deadline: All submissions must be received by 1 October 2025.

SmallSat Education Innovators Challenge

Evaluation Rubric (applies to all submission types)

Each entry will be evaluated based on the following criteria, with a maximum score of 10 points per category:

Educational Value (25%)
- Criteria: Alignment with STEM standards, clarity of learning objectives, and relevance to aerospace topics.
- Score Range: 1 (poor) – 10 (excellent)
Innovation & Creativity (25%)
- Criteria: Novelty in integrating aerospace content; creative use of hands-on elements such as soldering, coding, amateur radio, and hardware assembly.
- Score Range: 1 (uninspired) -10 (highly innovative)
Technical Accuracy & Feasibility (25%)
- Criteria: Accuracy of technical content related to CubeSat/ThinSat/PocketQube/HAB design; feasibility of implementation in a classroom setting.
- Score Range: 1 (inaccurate/unrealistic) – 10 (highly accurate and feasible)
Presentation & Engagement (25%)
- Criteria: Clarity, organization, and overall quality of the presentation; potential to engage and inspire students.
- Score Range: 1 (confusing/unengaging) -10 (clear and highly engaging)

Let’s Work Together

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