11050 Views (as of 05/2023)
  1. Samuel Ximenes
  2. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-ximenes-975b694
  3. Founder
  4. Presenter’s NSFRESOURCECENTERS
  5. WEX Foundation
  1. Joules Webb
  2. https://www.linkedin.com/in/joules-webb-7789b522/
  3. Special Research Associate
  4. Presenter’s NSFRESOURCECENTERS
  5. University of Texas at San Antonio
Facilitators’
Choice

LCATS

NNX16AM33G

2018 (see original presentation & discussion)

Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Undergraduate

LCATS is the program an acronym for Lunar Caves Analog Test Sites .

LCATS is a 4 year program serving San Antonio PREP (Pre-freshman Engineering Program) students featuring science investigations, space exploration mission operations, technology development, and habitability system architectures for space-STEM learning performance.

 

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Discussion from the 2018 STEM for All Video Showcase (23 posts)
  • Icon for: Daniel Damelin

    Daniel Damelin

    Facilitator
    Senior Scientist
    May 14, 2018 | 04:10 p.m.

    Wow! How can I get my daughter involved? Do we have to move to San Antonio? 

    This seems like a great opportunity for the kids. Can you imagine spreading this to other locations? What are the key features that make it successful?

     
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    Joules Webb
  • Icon for: Joules Webb

    Joules Webb

    Co-Presenter
    Special Research Associate
    May 15, 2018 | 08:50 a.m.

    We are currently piloting the program in San Antonio and developing the materials to disseminate in the future. We are nearing the completion of our first student cohort's year 1 project which culminates with the launch of remote sensing experiments in June on a high altitude balloon. Our goal is to spread this opportunity globally. A key feature that makes our program successful is the partnerships. We have K-12 partners, higher education, business/industry, parents, and other community partners that play minor to major roles in our project. From curriculum development to water and snacks for our students, our partners make it happen.

  • Icon for: Joni Falk

    Joni Falk

    Co-Director of CSR at TERC
    May 15, 2018 | 07:37 p.m.

    This looks like such a great project. How many kids are involved each year? How do you recruit them? Is it after-school or integrated with school curricula? Is there a research component to find out the impact that you are having on participants as they continue on? You made me so curious! Great video. 

     
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    Joules Webb
  • Icon for: Joules Webb

    Joules Webb

    Co-Presenter
    Special Research Associate
    May 15, 2018 | 08:46 p.m.

    Our first cohort (2017-2018) included 30 students. They will be with us for up to four years. This summer we will recruit an additional 50-60 students for cohort 2, and a similar sized cohort 3 in summer 2019. For grant purposes, we partnered with The University of Texas at San Antonio's Prefreshman Engineering Program to recruit students from their summer STEM program. There is an evaluation component, but not a research component at this point, though we do plan to track the students beyond the grant years. I imagine as we progress we will be looking at how to accomplish this longitudinal research goal. Thanks for the video kudos - please help us share our video if you feel so inclined! 

  • Icon for: Joules Webb

    Joules Webb

    Co-Presenter
    Special Research Associate
    May 15, 2018 | 08:07 p.m.

    What questions do you have? Any suggestions or resources we could use in our programming? Our students will begin the process of writing a space-themed comic book in collaboration with our partner TAME (Texas Alliance for Minorities in Engineering) in 2018-2019. Eventually it will be published and available on the TAME website

  • Icon for: Katie Widmann

    Katie Widmann

    Graduate Student
    May 16, 2018 | 05:05 p.m.

    Wow!  I am so impressed by what you are doing.  I dearly wish I had known about this when I was these kids' ages.

    How do you see your kids grow, change or evolve throughout the program?  What skills do you see them develop?

     
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    Joules Webb
  • Icon for: Joules Webb

    Joules Webb

    Co-Presenter
    Special Research Associate
    May 16, 2018 | 05:17 p.m.

    We see the students become more independent in their thinking wrt how to design an experiment, how to work on a team, and increased confidence in their abilities as scientist/engineer. We had an 8th student that recently completed his ham radio license for communication purposes with the high altitude balloon launch.

  • Icon for: Carrie Willis

    Carrie Willis

    Facilitator
    Technology Director and Teacher
    May 16, 2018 | 09:58 p.m.

    Wowza! This is amazing. What an incredible opportunity for these students. Is this a summer program? After school program? Your set-up is outstanding. Where does the funding come from and how do you plan to expand? 

     
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    Joules Webb
  • Icon for: Joules Webb

    Joules Webb

    Co-Presenter
    Special Research Associate
    May 17, 2018 | 08:55 a.m.

    LCATS takes place over the course of 16 Saturdays during the academic school year. What makes the set-up outstanding is our partners. We kickoff our first Saturday at the Scobee Education Center at San Antonio College. Students begin with a mission simulation experience. We utilize the local 'wild' Robber Baron Cave, as our lunar analog environment to the lunar lava tubes. Partner Southwest Research Institute provides space science and engineering expertise, and hosts a tour for our students. LCATS is currently funded through a NASA CP4SMPVC award. We are actively seeking partners and funding sources globally that would be interested in using the LCATS curriculum with their student populations.

  • Icon for: Jim Hammerman

    Jim Hammerman

    Facilitator
    Co-Director
    May 18, 2018 | 02:00 p.m.

    This is very cool. So many ways that you integrate real or realistic experiences so students can really engage with the issues and get a sense of what scientific investigation is about. You said you're seeing evidence of student gains in how to design an experiment, how to work on a team, and increased confidence in their abilities as scientist/engineer. I'm sure you've got some great stories, but I wonder how you're studying these (and other) differences more systematically?

     
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    Discussion is closed. Upvoting is no longer available

    Joules Webb
  • Icon for: Joules Webb

    Joules Webb

    Co-Presenter
    Special Research Associate
    May 18, 2018 | 07:08 p.m.

    Indeed, we have great anecdotal evidence. Our evaluation team collects both qualitative (focus groups) and quantitative data (surveys) regarding project outcomes, student attitudes, and content knowledge gains; though it is geared toward project evaluation as opposed to a formal research study.

  • Icon for: Dr. Doug Duncan

    Dr. Doug Duncan

    Informal Educator
    May 20, 2018 | 01:36 p.m.

    Nice work!

     

    when they are a bit older you might point your best students to www.summerscience.org.   

    Doug Duncan

     
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    Discussion is closed. Upvoting is no longer available

    Joules Webb
  • Icon for: Joules Webb

    Joules Webb

    Co-Presenter
    Special Research Associate
    May 21, 2018 | 07:56 a.m.

    Thank you and YES - looking forward to learning more about summer science and sharing the opportunity with students.

  • ronald wells

    K-12 Teacher
    May 19, 2018 | 05:15 p.m.

    This is greaty, finally a real world space science program for middle and high school students, reminds me of Sputnik and the U.S. race into space.

     
    1
    Discussion is closed. Upvoting is no longer available

    Joules Webb
  • Icon for: Joules Webb

    Joules Webb

    Co-Presenter
    Special Research Associate
    May 21, 2018 | 07:30 a.m.

    As classroom facilitator, what have you found most complelling in terms of student growth throughout the project?

  • Sarah Chapa

    K-12 Teacher
    May 19, 2018 | 11:47 p.m.

    Hello my friend! Joules, my Georgia wants to be an astronomer. Her best friend has done PREP the last two summers and is hoping to this summer too. How can I get Georgia to be a part of this cohort. She will be a freshman and our plan was to take Geometry this summer so she can take Calculus 2 by the time she’s a senior, but this sounds amazing! Her dream is to work at NASA. 

    Call me!

     
    1
    Discussion is closed. Upvoting is no longer available

    Joules Webb
  • Icon for: James Diamond

    James Diamond

    Facilitator
    Research Scientist
    May 20, 2018 | 01:38 p.m.

    Hi Joules—this looks like such a fun and fascinating project! Thanks for sharing it. Could you imagine giving young people in different parts of the country the opportunity to explore the cave using something like a drone, or some other robotic technology? It seems like that might be a fantastic opportunity to bring many students into this experience who might not have the opportunity to get into the cave because of proximity.

    Thanks for sharing your work!

     
    1
    Discussion is closed. Upvoting is no longer available

    Joules Webb
  • Icon for: Joules Webb

    Joules Webb

    Co-Presenter
    Special Research Associate
    May 21, 2018 | 07:29 a.m.

    Yes, I can imagine spreading this opportunity through additional F2F sites and through VR/AR experiences. We are working on getting a lunar sandbox; we may be able to link students remotely to control a robot in the regolith environment.

  • Icon for: Javier Duran

    Javier Duran

    Parent
    May 20, 2018 | 08:21 p.m.

    This is an excellent program.  Looking forward to more updates!

     

     
    1
    Discussion is closed. Upvoting is no longer available

    Joules Webb
  • Icon for: Joules Webb

    Joules Webb

    Co-Presenter
    Special Research Associate
    May 21, 2018 | 07:24 a.m.

    Thanks Javier; how important to you is parent engagement in the program?

  • Icon for: Samuel Ximenes

    Samuel Ximenes

    Lead Presenter
    Founder
    May 21, 2018 | 11:27 a.m.

    For Daniel Damelin and James Diamond comments:

    As Joules mentioned, we do have goals to spread this program model globally. We are currently working with partners in South Korea, Mexico, and the European Space Agency for funding and implementation planning.  You can read about how we envision this in our published paper at this link:

    LEAP2_AND_LCATS_INDUSTRY_CLUSTERS_A_FRAMEWORK_FOR_LUNAR_SITE_TECHNOLOGY_DEVELOPMENT_USING_GLOBAL_SPACE-STEM_EDUCATION_AND_GLOBAL_SPACE-INDUSTRY_DEVELOPMENT_NETWORKS

     
    1
    Discussion is closed. Upvoting is no longer available

    Joules Webb
  • Icon for: Daniel Damelin

    Daniel Damelin

    Facilitator
    Senior Scientist
    May 21, 2018 | 01:02 p.m.

    Thanks. I also sent the link to your video to the director of the Chabot Space and Science center: http://www.chabotspace.org/index.htm 

     

     

     
    1
    Discussion is closed. Upvoting is no longer available

    Joules Webb
  • Icon for: Joules Webb

    Joules Webb

    Co-Presenter
    Special Research Associate
    May 21, 2018 | 01:35 p.m.

    Thank you for making the connection.

  • Further posting is closed as the event has ended.