ASU’s Space Futures Forward brings interplanetary inquiry into classrooms around the world

In an effort to expand access to meaningful, future-facing education, Arizona State University’s Interplanetary Initiative launched Space Futures Forward, a global classroom engagement campaign that invites teachers and students to explore what it means for humanity to become an interplanetary species.

At its core, the initiative is grounded in the belief that all students should have a voice in shaping our space future. Space Futures Forward delivers free, inquiry-based learning to 8th–12th grade classrooms worldwide by pairing research-driven prompts with short, accessible videos from the Space for Humans YouTube channel.

“Space, the final frontier, involves so much more than launching rockets and going to the International Space Station,” says Craig Kemper, a middle school teacher in Colorado who teaches English Language Arts and History and is participating in the campaign. “Space is about educating ourselves on this wonderful universe that we live in and that’s what this program does. It helps us learn about who we are and why our universe operates the way it does.”

Each month, classrooms are invited to explore a new “Big Question” such as: “How will people really react to life on other planets?” or “What might we invent when gravity gets dialed back?”

These open-ended prompts connect space exploration with broader human challenges, inviting students to think critically and creatively about ethics, society and technology. Although rooted in space science, the questions are designed to engage students across disciplines, from STEM to the humanities.

The format is deliberately flexible: each module can be integrated into the classroom in as little as 10 minutes per month. Teachers can tailor the experience to their needs, whether that means a quick journal entry and classroom discussion or a larger student-led project. Over time, these regular moments of curiosity help build a culture of inquiry and future thinking.

To support that process, the program includes a simple classroom inquiry framework that helps students ask their own questions, explore multiple perspectives, and share ideas, building critical thinking and communication skills around each month’s Big Question.

The eight-month campaign is now complete, having reached over 10,000 students across 90 classrooms around the world. U.S. participants received classroom posters to spark interest, and teachers can join anytime to become part of a growing international network engaging students in interplanetary inquiry.

Laurel Struck, a middle school science teacher in Montana, has seen the impact the program has had on her students. “Space Futures Forward has been an engaging program that my middle school students have looked forward to every month,” Struck said. “As an instructor, it’s nice to have an educational organization that supports students to ask big questions about our universe, in turn helping these students believe that someday they could be working in a STEAM field to research and develop for it.”

Educators who want to go deeper can enroll in OpenCitizen for Educators, a teacher professional development course created in collaboration with the ASU Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation. The training equips teachers to guide open-inquiry projects that encourage student-led action. For high school classrooms, this work can be combined with Accelerate ASU, which enables schools to offer the OpenCitizen program to students for college credit.

Educators can also subscribe to the Space for Humans YouTube channel to access free, classroom-ready videos that introduce big space topics in ways students can connect with.

“We’re not just teaching about space. We’re making it relevant, accessible, and connected to students’ lives around the world,” said Katherine McConachie, senior director of learning at the Interplanetary Initiative. “This is about empowering educators to spark big conversations that go beyond STEM and help students see themselves in the future.”

Join our educator mailing list to stay informed about future opportunities with Space Futures Forward and other Interplanetary Initiative classroom programs.

For more about the ASU Interplanetary Initiative, visit interplanetary.asu.edu.