Show Summary:

In this episode, Claire shares her recent discovery of a backyard superfood – the Black Soldier Fly! She and Natasha discuss how this creature plays a key role in ecosystems involving efficient decomposition, nutritional livestock feed, and even in future space habitats. Learn why you may want to get involved, too!

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Show Summary:

In this episode, Claire shares how she tells her story to inspire students and realistically see themselves achieving their dreams. Hear about her recent outreach day teaching about rockets using a home-built 8 foot tall model and of course an update on her chickens. Also get a taste of how STEM teachers can address the social emotional learning of their students. Natasha and Claire may not agree on the method of doing so. Tune in to hear more!

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Related The STEM Space Podcast Episodes

Related The STEM Space Podcast Episodes

197. You Should Build a Rocket… Seriously (Part 1)

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Decompile Your Mind: An Engineer’s Guide to Thoughts and Emotions(book)

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Show Summary:

In this episode, Claire is joined by Audrey Gilfillan and Alison West, licensed professional counselors and embedded therapists in the College of Engineering and Applied Science at CU Boulder. Together, they bring extensive experience in college mental health, academic and career support, and community-based counseling. Audrey and Alison are co-authors of Decompile Your Mind: An Engineer’s Guide to Thoughts and Emotions and co-founders of Applied Wellness Initiatives, where they help educators, managers, and professionals integrate mental health awareness into their work and academic communities. Their shared passion is supporting young adults as they balance personal well-being with academic and professional goals in a fast-changing world.

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Resources Mentioned

Decompile Your Mind: An Engineer’s Guide to Thoughts and Emotions (book)

Scaffolded Mental Health Support Model (article)

Applied Health Initiatives

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Show Summary:

In this episode, Natasha and Claire dive into Claire’s upcoming outreach presentation on rockets. As Claire builds a large-scale cutaway model to showcase each part of a rocket, they explore the value of hands-on learning, problem-solving activities, and tackling common misconceptions about rockets. Plus, stick around for a fun update on Claire’s chickens!

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Show Summary:

In this episode of the STEM Space podcast, Claire chats with the Founder & CEO of Changemaker Education, David Richards. He shares his passion for love-based, personalized education that led to establishing a microschool for his own children. As an alternative to the outdated factory model of education, microschools tailor learning to the children that are being served. Tune in to hear how David turned his passion and problem solving into an organization to help others start their own microschools and learn how you can too!

About David Richards, Founder & CEO of Changemaker Education: David K. Richards is the Founder & CEO of Changemaker Education, a national network of affiliate love-based microschools and an incubator for founders who want to usher in a new paradigm for the future of education. He is also the host of the Changemaker ED“U” podcast. Previously, he was Founder & CEO of Growth Public Schools, and a founding teacher and leader with Summit Public Schools where he launched several innovative schools. In addition he serves as a leadership and life coach. David has worked in education reform for over 25 years as a teacher, principal, executive, and board member. He lives in Sacramento, CA with his wife and his two children, and holds a BA from UC Berkeley and an MA from Stanford University.

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Show Summary:

You are in for a treat! Do you have someone in your life that is interested in video games or game development? Claire talks with Aaron Thibault, the director of The LIVE Lab which is a research lab at Texas A&M University in the College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts where students learn to create interactive learning experiences while getting real industry experience. Hear his story along with the impact that game-based learning can have on learning as well as some ways you as a teacher can bring LIVE Lab projects to your classroom.

About Aaron Thibault, LIVE Lab Director: Aaron Thibault is a game developer, educator and researcher who focuses on the innovation of game-based technologies that support learning and deep representations of people, environments and complex interactive scenarios. He was a key leader for the mega-franchise “Borderlands,” developed retention techniques and story pipelines for the first massive multiplayer game “Ultima Online,” and created the Digital Warrior game-based learning platform for the US Army as part of a joint TAMU-UT Austin “UXXI” digital transformation initiative. He organized and advised foundational research at his Digital Media CoLab including rtNEAT, a breakthrough real-time evolutionary neural network technique invented by Ken Stanley and an example of a core research invention that can only occur with support of a lab-based game development team. Aaron also helped start and managed the world’s first graduate degree program for games, The Guildhall at SMU, and is an ACM SIGGRAPH Pioneer and former IEEE virtual reality program chair.

About Texas A&M’s LIVE Lab: The LIVE Lab is a research lab at Texas A&M University in the College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts where students learn to create interactive learning experiences while getting real industry experience. With the help of subject matter experts and instructional designers, students collaborate to make high-quality digital learning experiences, touching on every aspect of professional development including design, concept art, 3D modeling, development and management.

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Show Summary:

Natasha and Claire outline a new STEM curriculum that will be available for free through Space Club. Claire details her process on creating the science labs and engineering design challenges in the curriculum including representing accurate science content. Unsurprisingly, she learned that turning to the subject matter experts is the best way to ensure quality science and engineering content to ensure the science informs the engineering design. From chicken coop design to exploring ocean worlds, this episode is filled with inspiration and resources for your STEM program!

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Show Summary:

Natasha and Claire dive into the often-overlooked role of manufacturing in STEM education, exploring how it connects to engineering and real-world applications in the classroom. Along the way, they catch up on the back-to-school happenings from the humor of kindergarten drama to the challenges of STEM burnout and strategies for managing it. Tune in to hear why manufacturing matters, how educators can integrate it into their teaching, and why it’s more relevant than ever for preparing students for future careers.

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Show Summary:

In this episode, Natasha and Claire kick things off with their latest animal adventures. But the real focus is on helping STEM teachers gear up for the new school year. They break down the top things you should be doing right now, including how to strategically approach your curriculum planning and what supplies you’ll want to stock up on before the school rush hits. Whether you’re a veteran teacher or new to the STEM classroom, this episode packs in practical tips to help you gear up for a great year ahead!

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SETI Institute

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Show Summary:

In this episode, Natasha and Claire kick things off with their latest animal adventures. But the real focus is on helping STEM teachers gear up for the new school year. They break down the top things you should be doing right now, including how to strategically approach your curriculum planning and what supplies you’ll want to stock up on before the school rush hits. Whether you’re a veteran teacher or new to the STEM classroom, this episode packs in practical tips to help you gear up for a great year ahead!

Links from the Show:

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