Bridging NASA Innovation with Community-Centered Learning

The partnership between TIES (Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM) and NASA’s STELLA program represents a powerful convergence of innovation and workforce development that directly aligns with TIES’ 22-year commitment to making STEM accessible to everyone. Founded by veteran educator Jan Morrison, TIES has developed into a global organization with STEM Learning Ecosystems reaching into over 120 communities in 48 states and 8 countries, serving more than 40 million learners – providing the ideal infrastructure for scaling STELLA’s ~$200 DIY remote sensing instruments nationwide. By integrating STELLA’s NASA-inspired technology with TIES’ pioneering digital fabrication capabilities, mobile STEM-on-the-GO experiences, and established industry partnerships, this collaboration can ensure that Earth observation science reaches  communities while creating authentic pathways from classroom curiosity to careers in agriculture, remote sensing, and space technology. Together, they embody TIES’ core belief that “STEM is a tremendous force for good” by democratizing NASA’s advanced measurement techniques and building the technical workforce needed for America’s continued leadership in space exploration and scientific monitoring capabilities.