Workshop Archives - STELLA https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/stella/category/engagement/workshop/ What do you want to measure? Wed, 25 Feb 2026 16:18:24 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/stella/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/cropped-BSTELLA_LogoOfficial-scaled-1-32x32.png Workshop Archives - STELLA https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/stella/category/engagement/workshop/ 32 32 NASA Acres Supports STELLA Workshop at American University https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/stella/nasa-acres-supports-stella-workshop-american-university/ Sun, 22 Feb 2026 02:58:10 +0000 https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/stella/?p=4166 NASA's Science and Technology Education for Land/Life Assessment (STELLA) initiative organized a hands-on workshop for middle and high school teachers at American University focused on advancing remote sensing skills and STEM workforce development.

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NASA Acres Supports STELLA Workshop at American University

Story By NASA Acres

Last month, NASA’s Science and Technology Education for Land/Life Assessment (STELLA) initiative organized a hands-on workshop for middle and high school teachers at American University focused on advancing remote sensing skills and STEM workforce development. STELLA is a low-cost, open-source, handheld spectrometer platform that participants build and use to measure light reflectance and environmental parameters, helping connect field-based observations with NASA satellite remote sensing.

STELLA at American University with Mike Taylor, Chelsey Brown, Rachel Stagner, Natalia Quinteros Casaverde, Mike Humber, and Allison Bredder and the teacher professional development cohort
STELLA at American University with Mike Taylor, Chelsey Brown, Rachel Stagner, Natalia Quinteros Casaverde, Mike Humber, and Allison Bredder and the teacher professional development cohort

STELLA Team Lead Mike Taylor led the workshop, with NASA Acres’ Drs. Mike Humber and Allison Bredder serving as contributors alongside Paul Mirel, creator and lead engineer of STELLA, who delivered a talk and Q&A, and Natalia Quinteros Casaverde, who shared a presentation on her use of STELLA to support home garden monitoring in Jamaica. The workshop was organized and planned by Chelsey Brown, Program Manager for the NASA District of Columbia Space Grant Consortium and the Integrated Space Science and Technology Institute (ISSTI). Funding was provided by a grant Chelsey received from the American Physical Society. It included contributions from Rachel Stagner, a nationally recognized STEM educator, 2023 PAEMST Awardee, 2018–19 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow at NASA, and founder of STEMTeachersDMV, which also organized and sponsored the workshop.

STELLA-Q2 spectrometer
STELLA-Q2 spectrometer

During the workshop, teachers progressed from understanding how sunlight interacts with Earth’s surfaces to applying Landsat imagery, measuring spectral reflectance with STELLA-Q2 spectrometers, and analyzing vegetation health using NDVI, gaining skills they will now bring directly to their classrooms and students. The presenters highlighted techniques that support agricultural applications, demonstrating how NASA satellite data and field spectroscopy inform crop monitoring, resource management, and decision-making. Teachers assembled and programmed their own instruments, collected and analyzed field data, and gained practical experience aligned with real NASA mission applications. Participants left the event with functioning instruments, hands-on remote sensing experience, and positive feedback highlighting the value of the workshop’s practical, real-world focus.

Through initiatives like this, NASA Acres advances workforce development by equipping educators and students with applied remote sensing skills and helping bridge the gap between NASA Earth observation data and on-the-ground agricultural and environmental applications.

Related Resources:

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]]> STELLA Workshop – June 2 and 3 https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/stella/stella-workshop-june-2-and-3/ Tue, 03 Jun 2025 22:56:01 +0000 https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/stella/?p=2087 The STELLA (Science and Technology Education for Land/Life Assessment) Workshop was held on June 2-3, 2025, at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center as an educational initiative connecting NASA remote sensing technologies with classroom instruction

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STELLA Workshop – June 2 and 3

Preperation Phase

In spring 2025, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center began planning an ambitious STELLA workshop scheduled for June 2-3. The planning committee consisted of Rachel White, Mike Taylor, Paul Mirel, Alicia Joseph, Bri Lind, Joseph Eimer and others, who started meeting as early as April 28 to organize what would become a significant educational event. The team carefully selected participants, ultimately finalizing a roster limited to 14 attendees.

Workshop Design

The committee crafted a comprehensive two-day agenda focused on introducing educators to STELLA technology. The workshop was designed to provide hands-on experience with the STELLA-Q2 instruments – affordable spectral instruments that allow users to essentially “become the satellite” through ground-based remote sensing.

Each participant would build their own Q2 spectrometer. The planning team ordered these components well in advance, ensuring everything would be ready for the June workshop.

Day One: June 2, 2025

The workshop began at 8:45 AM with refreshments and a pre-survey as participants arrived at NASA Goddard. At 9:00 AM, formal introductions started with an icebreaker where participants shared their favorite natural phenomena – from cloud types to preferred crops.

Paul led a session explaining what STELLA is and the purpose behind its creation, emphasizing how it bridges satellite-based comparison, field research, citizen science, and classroom applications. The holistic approach highlighted how users effectively “become the satellite” through these handheld instruments.

By 9:30 AM, Bri presented an introduction to remote sensing, covering the basics of spectral signatures, infrared light, and how vegetation appears differently based on its health status. This foundation prepared participants for the hands-on activities to follow.

The late morning saw participants building their own STELLA-Q2 devices, programming them, and conducting initial tests with construction paper to ensure proper functionality. An informal visit by NASA DEVELOP to discuss the program happened around lunchtime. After lunch, teams of four or fewer ventured outdoors to collect data, learning about calibration and measurement techniques firsthand.

Day Two: June 3, 2025

The second day began with participants reflecting on their new capabilities. Having built their own instruments, they discussed what they wanted to learn and how they might apply STELLA in their own educational environments. Teams developed simple measurement plans and compared their expectations with actual data results.

Morning activities included taking field notes by batch number and time, with various measurement options including tests on paints, plants, built surfaces, water with food coloring, and even an apple placed on grass. By 11:00 AM, participants were extracting and plotting their data, learning to isolate specific measurements from the total dataset and analyze differential data between measurements. Dr. Petya Campbell, the STELLA Lead scientist, came by to talk to and instruct participants while taking their measurements.

Representatives from NASA Acres visited to discuss their program and STELLA’s applications for agricultural learning.

During lunch, the workshop featured a sneak peek at upcoming STELLA versions (1.2 and AQ). The afternoon concluded with team presentations of their findings, with the workshop officially ending at 1:30 PM. Some participants took the opportunity to visit the Goddard Visitor Center and gift shop, while others stayed behind for further discussion until the final departure at 2:30 PM.

STELLA workshop June 2025 participants

Impact and Outcomes

The workshop successfully brought together educators from different institutions, providing them not only with the knowledge but also the physical tools (STELLA-Q2 devices) to implement remote sensing education in their classrooms.

The approach emphasized the collaborative nature of science, demonstrating how collecting and sharing data contributes to a clearer understanding of our world. Participants learned that unexpected results aren’t failures but learning opportunities, building resilience in scientific inquiry while connecting curiosity with problem-solving skills.

By the workshop’s conclusion, these educators had transformed from passive learners into instrument builders and data collectors, ready to bring satellite science down to earth for their own students and contribute to NASA’s broader educational and scientific goals.

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]]> STEM Professional Development Workshop for Educators https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/stella/stem-professional-development-workshop-for-educators/ Sat, 24 May 2025 03:43:00 +0000 https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/stella/?p=2062 STEM Professional Development Workshop for Educators NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center brought the Science and Technology Education for Land/Life Assessment (STELLA) project to local educators…

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STEM Professional Development Workshop for Educators

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center brought the Science and Technology Education for Land/Life Assessment (STELLA) project to local educators during a specialized workshop at American University’s Don Myers Technology & Innovation Building on Saturday.

The professional development session, designed for teachers from across DC, Maryland, and Virginia, showcased how NASA technology can be adapted for classroom use through low-cost, hands-on instruments that demonstrate principles of remote sensing and environmental monitoring.

Classroom May 24, 2025

Mike Taylor, Outreach Scientist from NASA Goddard, led the STELLA demonstration as part of a broader program highlighting NASA’s Climate Change Research Initiative (CCRI). The three-hour workshop gave educators 45 minutes of direct experience with four specialized instruments: the STELLA-1.1 and Q2 spectrometers, the STELLA-AQ air quality monitor, and the Helio-STELLA for studying light spectrums.

The session was inspired by an experiential learning approach known as the Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE) cycle. Teachers first explored the instruments without instructions, fostering curiosity and discovery before receiving guided instruction on their proper use and applications.

Workshop participants took their instruments outdoors to collect real environmental data, measuring spectral signatures from vegetation, concrete, and asphalt surfaces. Those using the STELLA-AQ conducted simple chemistry experiments by monitoring CO2 levels from baking soda and vinegar reactions, while Helio-STELLA users observed how different colored gels affected spectral readings.

The workshop demonstrated practical applications of these instruments, including how to calculate the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) – the same measurement used by NASA’s Landsat satellites to monitor Earth’s vegetation health from space. Teachers also learned how these instruments connect to NASA missions like Landsat and PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem).

A key highlight of the presentation was STELLA’s versatility across educational levels. The project has been successfully implemented with students ranging from 4th grade through graduate school, making sophisticated concepts like spectral analysis and remote sensing accessible at multiple educational levels.

The event was part of a broader professional development program that included presentations from NASA scientists, CCRI researchers, and graduate research assistants. The agenda also featured additional NASA educational resources and opportunities for teachers to join the CONNECTS resource group for ongoing support.

For educators interested in implementing STELLA in their classrooms, building instructions and educational resources are available through the STELLA website and the STELLA GitHub community forum.

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]]> NASA SEES Students Showcase EarthLens-STELLA Integration at AGU 2025 https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/stella/aaes-brings-nasas-stella-remote-sensing-to-virginias-eastern-shore/ Fri, 03 Jan 2025 00:39:00 +0000 https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/stella/?p=3673 NASA STEM Enhancement in Earth Sciences (SEES) interns Nandini Khaneja, Neev Tamboli, Samuel Bawden, and Jordan Rodriguez presented their innovative EarthLens project at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting 2025, demonstrating exceptional technical achievement in developing a drone-and-app system that addresses limitations in existing citizen science tools.

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NASA SEES Students Showcase EarthLens
-STELLA Integration at AGU 2025

Advanced Drone Platform Combines Dual STELLA Insruments (Q2 Spectrometer & Helio) and AI Analysis for Enhanced Land Cover Monitoring

NASA STEM Enhancement in Earth Sciences (SEES) interns Nandini Khaneja, Neev Tamboli, Samuel Bawden, and Jordan Rodriguez, part of the SEES Earth System Explorers Team sponsored by NESEC and the Institute for Global Strategies presented their innovative EarthLens project at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting 2025, demonstrating exceptional technical achievement in developing a drone-and-app system that addresses limitations in existing citizen science tools.

NASA SEES EarthLens Team and Mike Taylor at AGU 2025
NASA STEM Enhancement in Earth Sciences (SEES) interns Nandini Khaneja, Neev Tamboli, Samuel Bawden, and Jordan Rodriguez presented their innovative EarthLens project at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting 2025 and stopped by the NASA booth and took a picture with Mike Taylor.

Student Innovation and Workforce Development

The EarthLens team exemplifies the caliber of innovation emerging from NASA’s SEES program, successfully integrating complex systems across drone engineering, spectral sensing, mobile app development, and AI analysis. Their ability to identify real-world problems in platforms like NASA’s GLOBE Observer app and develop sophisticated solutions showcases the high-level technical skills being developed through NASA’s workforce development initiatives.

NASA STEM Enhancement in Earth Sciences (SEES) interns Nandini Khaneja, Neev Tamboli
NASA STEM Enhancement in Earth Sciences (SEES) interns Nandini Khaneja, Neev Tamboli presenting their EarthLens project.

Understanding Why NASA Maintains the Cutting Edge

Working with EarthLens provides firsthand experience with sensor limitations that highlight why NASA must stay at the very cutting edge of science, engineering, and technology. The system uses two STELLA spectrometers – an AS7341 8-channel (415-680 nm) and AS7265x 18-channel (410-940 nm) – that reveal measurement variability, calibration challenges, and atmospheric interference effects.

By confronting these uncertainties with accessible instruments, users develop appreciation for why NASA missions require years of development, extensive calibration protocols, and sophisticated technology. This hands-on experience demonstrates why precision satellite sensors like Landsat and PACE represent the pinnacle of remote sensing engineering and why NASA must continue pushing technological boundaries to maintain scientific leadership.

Technical Innovation and Problem Solving

EarthLens addresses significant challenges identified in current citizen science platforms. Research revealed that 63.2% of users took more than 9 hours to complete land cover observations using traditional GLOBE tools, often losing data or struggling with poor image quality. The team’s solution combines:

  • Drone platform with dual STELLA spectrometers for comprehensive spectral monitoring
  • High-resolution Raspberry Pi cameras (3280 x 2464 pixels)
  • Mobile app with real-time drone feeds, AI-powered land cover analysis, and social features
  • GPS-accurate data collection that prevents the data loss plaguing existing platforms

Building on Research Foundation

The project extends work by Russanne Low, Peder Nelson, Cassie Soeffing, Andrew Clark, and the SEES 2020 Mosquito Mappers Research Team, whose 2021 study demonstrated connecting ground observations with satellite imagery. EarthLens advances this framework through drone-based data collection that bridges the gap between citizen science and professional Earth observation.

Advancing Science and Technology Leadership

The system incorporates AI for automated land cover classification while enabling users to learn remote sensing principles used in NASA missions. Though STELLA and EarthLens aren’t peer-reviewed research instruments, they provide valuable experience with measurement challenges that drive NASA’s commitment to advancing calibration methods and developing more sophisticated technology.

EarthLens demonstrates how understanding sensor limitations motivates continuous advancement in Earth observation capabilities. NASA’s investment in precision-calibrated missions and cutting-edge engineering ensures American leadership in space-based science and technology, maintaining the nation’s competitive advantage in understanding our planet through the most advanced remote sensing systems ever developed.

Related Links

References

Nandini Khaneja, Neev Tamboli, Jordan Rodriguez, et al. EarthLens: A Novel Drone-based Citizen Science Tool for Land Cover Observation and Analysis. ESS Open Archive . December 26, 2025.
DOI: 10.22541/essoar.176677108.80716415/v1

Low RD, Nelson PV, Soeffing C, Clark A and SEES 2020 Mosquito Mappers Research Team (2021) Adopt a Pixel 3 km: A Multiscale Data Set Linking Remotely Sensed Land Cover Imagery With Field Based Citizen Science Observation. Front. Clim. 3:658063. doi: 10.3389/fclim.2021.658063

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