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Educational Activities

High School STEM Outreach Visit to UH IDEAS² and SICSA
On January 29, 2026, 25 students from Hardin-Jefferson High School and Anahuac High School visited the University of Houston for an immersive STEM engagement focused on space architecture… 		IDEAS² researcher Surabhi Sharma presents an overview of space architecture and NASA MIRO research activities to visiting high school students from Hardin-Jefferson High School and Anahuac High School during a STEM outreach visit at the UH Sasakawa International Center for Space Architecture (SICSA).
Student Participation in Mars Autonomous Rover Rally Design Challenge
In Fall 2025, IDEAS²-supported University of Houston students engaged in the Mars Autonomous Rover Rally Design Challenge, a university-level design and coding competition organized by the… 		A team of University of Houston students participating in the Mars Autonomous Rover Rally Design Challenge developed and tested autonomous rover navigation algorithms using the Space Teams PRO high-fidelity Martian simulation environment. The image shows a simulated rover navigating Martian terrain alongside the ROS-based interface used for obstacle detection, mapping, and mission planning.
Aerospace Recruitment and Outreach
In October 2025, the IDEAS² Center advanced its outreach and workforce development mission through coordinated activities across UH and San Jacinto College. At UH, faculty and graduate… 		UH graduate students Salvador Gonzalez and Yuhang Ying engaged prospective students during the Engineering Cougar Preview, showcasing robotics and aerospace pathways
IDEAS² Center Launches Distinguished Lecture Series with Talk by Dr. Kingsley Fregene
In October 2025, the NASA MIRO IDEAS² Center inaugurated its IDEAS² Distinguished Lecture Series, which will bring an outstanding external expert in space-related research and development… 		Lockheed Martin’s Dr. Kingsley Fregene presents the inaugural IDEAS² Distinguished Lecture, marking the launch of the Center’s speaker series on space research and technology
San Jacinto College Advances IDEAS² Workforce and STEM Outreach
In September, IDEAS² partner San Jacinto College advanced workforce and outreach goals across Greater Houston. The team promoted aerospace certificates and MIRO student pathways at the… 		san jacinto college
NASA JSC Tour for Summer Interns
IDEAS² organized a tour of NASA Johnson Space Center for interns. Participants explored Mission Control, Astronaut Training, and Space Vehicle Mockup Facilities, connecting classroom…
Space City Job Fair
IDEAS² partner San Jacinto College participated in the BAHEP Aerospace Industry Job Fair.
2025 Mars Rover Explorers Summer Camp
Directed by Co-I Dr. Heather Domjan, UH hosted 65 students from 16 districts.
Research Experiences for High School Students
Multiple high school students engaged in summer research at UH, mentored by IDEAS² faculty and graduate students.
STEM Go Pro Day 2025
As part of Tech Fest Live, IDEAS² Co-Is Drs. Olga Bannova and Zheng Chen engaged 300+ high school students through rover control and soft robotics demos.
St. Elmo Brady STEM Academy Teacher Training
IDEAS² faculty trained educators in STEM outreach with demonstrations of robotics and VR space architecture.
International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC)
UH AIAA SCR team, mentored by IDEAS², earned First Place in the SDL Payload Challenge.
Research Experience for Teachers (RET)
A one-month pilot RET hosted by Co-I Dr. Jerrod Henderson engaged two teachers from Spring ISD and CFISD.
Kinston STEAM Day
Kinston STEAM Day celebrated STEM with competitions, design projects, and talks.
HASSE Workshop on Lunar Surface Habitat Design
UH graduate students led a workshop for HASSE on lunar habitat design.
Texas A&M University Physics and Engineering Festival 2025
IDEAS² faculty participated in the annual Physics & Engineering Festival.
Solar Sail Design Competition at Texas A&M
With support from the NASA MIRO grant and in collaboration with IDEAS² Co-Is Dr. Darren Hartl, Dr. Dimitris Lagoudas, and Dr. Manoranjan Majji, Texas A&M’s SEDS Solar Sail (SSS) group… 		Solar sail Design Competition
Post Oak Middle School Space Exploration Week
The IDEAS² Center hosted 18 students and two teachers from Pin Oak Middle School in Houston for their Space Exploration Day. Faculty and students from the IDEAS² Center presented the space… 		post oak school
Mars Rover Celebration
Under the direction of IDEAS² Co-I Dr. Heather Domjan, UH hosted the 2025 Mars Rover Explorers Summer Camp, engaging 65 students in grades 3–8 from 16 Houston-area school districts. Guided… 		Mars Rover Explorers
Mission: Ground Control – Mimic & Mentorship Program
IDEAS² Center collaborator HCC spearheaded a STEM initiative that paired community college student mentors with middle school students from Olle Middle School. The project involved… 		Mimic & Mentorship program