THANK YOU!!!

"As we express our gratitude, we will never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."...JFK

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: VANESSA ROHANA

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: ALMA BAEZA

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: LISA MARIE PENA

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: MAX FERGUSON

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: JUAN CARLOS NIETO

The Day Before Independence Day

The Acid Test

Finally the day of reckoning has come.  The day to shine and make impression has finally arrived for these students.  The spotlight will be on them and when all introductions and featured presentation commence, their moment to let the whole delegation from all over the US and names known in the world of science listen to their voice. 

Two months ago, they were perplexed by the idea that their experiment proposal was chosen as one of the top three community finalist out of a hundred and plus experiment proposals submitted.  Although their experiment was not chosen as a flight experiment, the review given by the SSEP panels contained really encouraging positive feedbacks and great pointers that encouraged them even more to do even better next time.  There's nothing to get sad about because the news of flying to Washington DC to showcase their proposed experiment at the National Conference came at about the same time.  A month ago, they were back to school while other students were already enjoying their time away from school.  They have to come back and spend hours of practice perfecting their presentation and performing the experiment they have designed.

The days of preparation are over and their moment has come.  The decision is now in their hands; to shine and let the nation know what they are made of or to crumble under pressure and feel small.  This is what all the preparation has come down to.

Dr. Goldstein on Presidio ISD SSEP Team 2 Oral Presentation

As SSEP National Program Director, and the creator of SSEP, I cannot imagine a more rewarding experience in terms of what this program was designed to be, than watching the research team from Presidio's Lucy Rede Franco Middle School on stage at the Smithsonian Institution. Their presentation defined a meritorious microgravity research program, provided comprehensive details of their analysis protocol, and the coordination between presenters - and presence - was stunning. The caliber of thought and professionalism exhibited by these young researchers was worthy of any professional research conference.  Yet these were 7th graders - amazing. To Lisa Marie Pena, Juan Nieto, Vanessa Rohanna, Alma Baeza and Maxwell Ferguson, America, your nation, is very very proud of you.

To Superintendent Dennis McEntire, SSEP Community Program Co-Director Shella Condino, and all the Teacher Facilitators like LRFMS's Ernesto Monte, what you have done with hundreds of students in Presidio, Texas, through the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program, speaks directly to America's future, and will ensure that Presidio, TX, is represented in America's next generation of scientists and engineers. From the SSEP National Team, thank you. 


Jeff Goldstein 
Center Director
SSEP National Program Director
National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE)

Oral Presentation: SSEP Presidio ISD Team 2

Lucy Rede Franco Middle School, Presidio Independent School District
Grade levels of Team: 7
Title: Chemical Analysis of the Effect of Gravity on Capsicum chinense ‘Habanero’
Type of Experiment: Honorable Mention Finalist, Mission 2 to ISS
Principal Investigator: Lisa Marie Pena
Co-Investigators: Juan Nieto and Vanessa Rohanna
Collaborators: Alma Baeza and Maxwell Ferguson
Teacher Facilitator: Ernesto Monte

Abstract:
When it comes to living in space, taste has become a unifying element that transcends cultures and boundaries. Studies also show that chili can provide a variety of medicinal or health benefits that range from relieving pain to fighting cancer. In this experiment, we will conduct a chemical analysis of Capsicum chinense ‘Habanero’ after its exposure to two different gravitational conditions. The goal is to quantify the effect of microgravity on its chemical content.

Welcome Keynote, Milestones of Flight Gallery, Day 1

Celebrating the Past, Embracing the Present, and Inspiring the Future:
Human Exploration the Journey Continues

Dr. Jeff Goldstein, Center Director [Bio]
SSEP National Program Director
National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE)

         We live in a moment in time. It’s the place where the accomplishments of those that came before us meet up with what will be undertaken by future generations. It’s a great place to be, especially if you’re part of the future generation. By learning about the past both in terms of what we know and how we’ve come to know it, and talking to those that work on the frontiers right now, you can choose to shape the future. It’s pretty powerful stuff. Standing on the shoulders of past generations, YOU are now the link between the past and future of human exploration.

Poster Presentations by Student Teams to Museum Visitorship in Space Race Gallery

Day 1(July 2, 2012)
1:00 - 3:00 pm
Poster PresentationsAs part of the Conference experience, tables were set up in the Museum’s Space Race Gallery for display board presentations by the student teams. The idea is to give the students the honor of interacting with the visiting public to the most visited museum on the planet and talk about their SSEP experiments.

This group stole the show with their warm personality and their spontaneous response.  They draw the crowd in with their colorful and real fun poster board.  Once they started talking, the audience can't resist their eloquence on the topic.

They managed to get the videographer filmed them twice.  Once again, they were spontaneous in answering the questions thrown at them. 

Mr. Christensen admired the brilliance and spontaniety of this group.  They were personally invited by him to participate in an Engineering challenge in Houston and promised to help in finding funds for their travel and participation.

Intently listening to an expert advise from Dr. Timothy Livengood, Assistant Research Scientist, University of Maryland and
Adjunct Space Science Researcher, NCESSE.

This group of spectators coming from Boston was amazed by their presentation and gave them a round of applause-the only group to get such a response.

The NASA videographer has to come back to take a second look at this group.  Apparently, they made an impression that the cameraman wanted more footage from them.

Presidio ISD SSEP Team 2 Rehearsal

The Road to 2012 SSEP National Conference

A team from middle school was chosen as one of the community finalists for SSEP Mission 2 to International Space Station.  Out of a hundred and plus entries from both high school and middle school, one 7th Grade team has submitted a space flight experiment proposal that captured the interest of the panel of judges.

The selection proved to be a motivating factor for this team.  The countless hours of research and after school sessions did not deter them from finishing the job that they have started.  The proposal underwent tremendous revisions after going through the panel's scrutiny.  What proved to be the most difficult challenge that they ever faced was transforming their experiment into a nanoscale in order to meet the technical aspects of measurement and specifications. 

They managed to submit the final draft on time and waited anxiously for the review and final decision from NCESSE board.  The proposal was not accepted for flight and was awarded honorable mention.  The team accepted the decision with an open mind.  The feedback given by the NCESSE board on their proposal was comprehensive and contained a great deal of positive comments that they take as great pointers for the next opportunity. 

The team was invited to participate in SSEP National Conference in Washington DC together with the flight experiment from high school.  The Superintendent had managed to convince the School Board to allow these students to participate.  The students were ecstatic when they learned that they are going to fly to Washington DC to present and experience the 4th of July celebration....and the rest was history.

2012 SSEP National Conference

Crossing the Border of Mediocrity