
28th Annual
Space Exploration Educators Conference
Feb. 3-5, 2022
Inspiration Shapes Our Future
From Apollo 13 to landing on Mars, NASA is no stranger to innovating under pressure. The struggles we have all faced since 2020 have forced us to adapt in ways we never imagined. At Space Center Houston, we are persevering with an innovative Space Exploration Educators Conference (SEEC). To accommodate as many educators as possible, SEEC 2022 is being held both in person at Space Center Houston and virtually.
A one-of-a-kind education conference
- Hear from inspiring speakers during our daily keynotes.
- Participate in curated sessions from educators and NASA experts and interact with other teachers to learn and grow together.
- Network and make valuable connections with presenters and fellow stellar educators who share your professional passion.
- Take back innovative and immersive lessons for all grade levels.
- Embark on tours to explore iconic Space Center Houston exhibits and historic NASA locations.
- Watch as many sessions as you like on demand for an entire year.
On-site Attendees
Engage in a wide variety of STEM-based sessions led by SEEC educators and aerospace professionals. Participate in special on-site sessions and events. Network with other educators at a complimentary lunch each day as well as a banquet on Friday night.
Virtual Attendees
View a wide variety of STEM-based sessions as well as our keynote and panel presentations, led by SEEC educators, aerospace professionals, and special guests. Watch as many sessions as you like on demand for an entire year.
On-Demand Content
Both virtual and on-site SEEC 2022 conference admission provides yearlong access to all the keynotes, recorded sessions, and recorded tours. Download supplemental sessions resources and files to accompany select sessions.
SEEC, supported by AssiST'EM Educational Consulting, will inspire you to overcome challenges, adapt to the evolving landscape, and shape the future.
Already registered?
Watch the SEEC 101 video below and join the conference.Call for 2023 SEEC presenter proposals
Space Center Houston is inviting innovative content driven presentations tied to space exploration which include a hands-on component. In response to your requests, we also encourage cross curricular content sessions for high school educators and those integrating math. Sessions tied to current NASA missions are also preferred.
Over the years, many SEEC participants have made extraordinary contacts throughout the space exploration field. We encourage educators to team with these resources and consider co-presenting sessions. Highly desirable presentations will have a combination of a space professional and an educator. These expert/educator combinations will provide authentic learning experiences for all participants.
Sessions should be interactive, engaging and use hands-on activities. Sessions must incorporate STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) concepts that can be implemented in an educational setting. STEM-based sessions with art integration are also welcome. Presenters who represent organizations may not promote the sale of their companies’ products.
Proposals submitted after Sept. 18, 2022 will be reviewed only if space is available.
Questions can be submitted to SEEC@spacecenter.org.
SEEC Scholarships
Due to generous donations we are able to offer scholarships for SEEC 2022. The scholarship will cover the registration fee for the SEEC 2022 conference. They are available to new registrations only. Due to the high demand of this program, scholarships will be awarded based on the impact attending the conference will have on the applicant and their organization.
Applications for these have now closed. Thank you to everyone who submitted! We will be making decisions and contacting recipients soon.
About SEEC
This conference is for Kindergarten to 12th grade formal and informal educators of all subjects. Space Center Houston strives to use space to teach across the curriculum. The activities presented can be used for science, language arts, mathematics, history, and more.
Attend sessions hosted by the actual scientists and engineers working on exciting endeavors like the International Space Station, explorations of Mars, and the planets beyond. Hear from the astronauts leading the charge in exploration! Come learn about the bold vision to send humans back to the Moon and off to Mars! Attend sessions presented by educators and receive ready-to-implement classroom ideas and experience minds-on, hands-on fun. Network with fellow educators, take back a multitude of cross-curriculum ideas and activities and earn 24 hours of continuing professional education credit.
Tell your community you attended SEEC
Share your participation in the 27th Space Exploration Educators Conference in a hometown news release. This sample news release may be used to notify your local media of your attendance at SEEC. It contains general information about the conference and a customizable quote for you to include your personal experiences. During media interviews, speak in a unified voice using Space Center Houston’s SEEC key messages.
Letter to administrators
Help demonstrate the value of SEEC to your administrators with a letter from Space Center Houston education manager Phyllis Friello. The letter explains the cost and benefits of this exceptional experience.
Cherri Brinley Outstanding Educator Award
Every year Space Center Houston honors an exceptional teacher with the prestigious Cherri Brinley Outstanding Educator Award for their significant achievements in space science education.
The award is named after Cherri Brinley, a fourteen year SEEC veteran, who shared her passion for space science and inspired a multitude of educators and students around the nation. She was an outstanding educator who touched the lives of everyone that knew her. She had an infectious spirit that drove everyone around her to do their personal best and to strive for greatness.
Always looking for ways to inspire her students and fellow teachers, she led many groups of her students affectionately known as the “nerd herd” allowing them to become the teachers and lead others during sessions. Ms. Brinley attended SEEC and many other Space Center Houston Educational events for many years. During her illness she always maintained the same positive outlook and spirit that made her such an inspiration to us all.
The Cherri Brinley Outstanding Educator Award was created to honor her and allow other teachers who have the same drive and inherent spirit which always kept Brinley reaching for the Moon and beyond.
If you know an outstanding educator that will be in attendance at SEEC, nominate them for the Cherri Brinely Outstanding Educator Award. This award is open to all teachers, administrators, school board members, and informal educators. Nominations must be received by Jan. 17, 2022. Late nominations will not be considered. The award recipient will be announced at the conference virtual banquet on Friday. Recipient must be present at the event.
2022 Cherri Brinley Outstanding Educator Award
Christine Graham, a 6th grade teacher at Cockrill Middle School in McKinney, Texas, was honored with the distinguished Cherri Brinley Outstanding Educator Award at the 28th annual Space Exploration Educators Conference (SEEC). With 22 years of educational experience and 19 years at SEEC, Graham is a life-long learner, science advocate, and educator. Graham is the true embodiment of this award.
Space Exploration Educator Crew
Space Center Houston is excited to extend the outreach of the Space Exploration Educator Conference by adding a teacher leadership component called the Space Exploration Educator Crew program. Thirty‐six K‐12 teachers from across the country were accepted into this exceptional program and will collaborate in six regional crews to develop teacher leadership skills and STEM based learning experiences.
It is our goal to empower teachers to build leadership competencies by creating innovative STEM programs for their students, schools and communities. Click here to learn more about the Space Exploration Educator Crew.
To apply to be a member of the Space Exploration Educator Crew, fill out the Space Educator Expedition Crew Program form and submit no later than Dec. 11.
Join the conversation
Please follow Space Center Houston on social media to get updates about the center and SEEC. To collaborate and discuss SEEC with other educators, join the SEEC Facebook group or tag your posts with #SEEC2022. We hope to create an interactive forum of discussion, frequently asked questions and a way for all participants to maintain a relationship throughout the entire year.
Subscribe
Get news about SEEC, educator resources and our education programs by signing up for our email communications below.SEEC 2021 highlights
Educators from across the world joined us for inspiring keynote presentations, interactive sessions and engaging virtual tours at the 27th annual Space Exploration Educators Conference Feb. 4-6.
#SEEC2021 attendees are going inside @NASAJPL in a virtual tour of key areas including mission control & the Spacecraft Assembly Facility in California. Sign up today to get on-demand access to all the conference presentations & tours for an entire year: https://t.co/oicQLneYro pic.twitter.com/HrbxWDqkC1
— Space Center Houston (@SpaceCenterHou) February 5, 2021
Educators are exploring rocketry with a rocket fuel experiment their students can conduct in a #SEEC2021 session with @Citizenscilab. Register & get access to this session plus all our conference content for 1 year: https://t.co/oicQLneYro pic.twitter.com/HD5LTUxQnK
— Space Center Houston (@SpaceCenterHou) February 4, 2021
In the 1st #SEEC2021 panel, @NASAJPL experts Jeffrey Carlson, Michael Sondheim & Clara O’Farrell are discussing NASA’s new Mars Rover @NASAPersevere scheduled to land on Mars in 2 weeks! Sign up to get on-demand access to today’s presentations for 1 year: https://t.co/oicQLneYro pic.twitter.com/0R0V3EHhNt
— Space Center Houston (@SpaceCenterHou) February 4, 2021
Our 1st round of #SEEC2021 sessions includes
- 🔬NASA #STEM resources + best practices for using them in classrooms
- 🌘#STEAM moon-related activities to get students excited about space
- 🔴A Mars escape room activity teachers can do with students https://t.co/oicQLneYro pic.twitter.com/XR7TxcWYGg— Space Center Houston (@SpaceCenterHou) February 4, 2021
NASA astronaut @astro_kjell is opening #SEEC2021 with an inspiring keynote presentation this morning. Dr. Lindgren flew on Expedition 44/45 & logged 141 days in space. He participated in 2 spacewalks & in more than a hundred different scientific experiments. pic.twitter.com/VpmRcjt5aX
— Space Center Houston (@SpaceCenterHou) February 4, 2021
SEEC 2020 highlights
Sessions, tours, and presentations
Educators from across the world joined us for inspiring keynote presentations, interactive sessions and engaging tours at the 26th annual Space Exploration Educators Conference in February.
The Cherri Brinley Outstanding Educator Award
Space Center Houston honored Sharon Eggleston with the prestigious Cherri Brinley Outstanding Educator Award for her significant achievements in space science education. Eggleston, a former project manager at Lockheed Martin from Brunswick, Maine, received the award during the 26th Space Exploration Educators Conference.
Eggleson first introduced space exploration programs in her local community in the late 1990s, including Space Day Maine, an education initiative dedicated to increasing students’ awareness of careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by providing an opportunity to learn from science and space experts. The program brings together more than 40 presenters to teach more than five thousand students around the United States and Canada. Her career also includes serving as a professor at Southern New Hampshire University and as chairperson of the Maine STEM Council, leading a pilot program for middle and high school students that borrows curriculum from NASA’s Astrobiology Program.
AssiST’EM Educational Consulting is the premier consulting organization innovating and transforming education.
AssiST’EM works with schools and school districts, companies, non-profits, government agencies, Countries and Embassies to better STEAM engagement through educational conference planning and management, educator training, college prep services and tutoring.