Empowering teachers and inspiring students, the Microgravity SIMST Implementation Guide is a roadmap for next-generation STEM learning

Written by Brooke Owen

The Microgravity Summer Institute for Middle School Teachers (SIMST) program, led by Arizona State University's Interplanetary Initiative and developed in collaboration with Orion’s Quest, University of Colorado Boulder, and Stanford University is redefining how space science is taught in middle school classrooms. 

Funded through a grant awarded by the ISS National Laboratory, this high-impact professional development program empowers educators with the tools, resources, and confidence to teach complex microgravity concepts while linking classroom instruction to real-world scientific research. To broaden access to this innovative professional development model, the free and easily adaptable Microgravity SIMST Implementation Guide is now available to support organizations interested in hosting their own Microgravity SIMST program.

Educators participating in the Microgravity SIMST program attend a one-day workshop where they gain a foundational understanding of microgravity and its scientific applications. Through hands-on activities and an introduction to Orion’s Quest “missions” that use real ISS data — including research by Dr. Cheryl Nickerson from ASU’s Biodesign Institute — teachers explore engaging ways to bring these concepts into the classroom. The day wraps up with a behind-the-scenes lab tour and talks from commercial space professionals, connecting the learning to real-world research and emerging career opportunities. Participants leave with practical tools and insights to integrate microgravity topics meaningfully into their curriculum.

The impact of the Microgravity SIMST program is clear. With a Net Promoter Score of 82, the workshops earned a “World-Class” rating signaling that participants are not only exceptionally satisfied, but eager to recommend the experience to others. 97% of teachers reported an increase in confidence and enthusiasm for teaching microgravity-enabled science. But the real proof is in the classroom: 3,800+ middle school students across Arizona, California, and Colorado have been reached through lessons inspired by the program, with 100% of submitted lesson plans demonstrating the successful transfer of workshop learning into practical, classroom-ready instruction.

A standout achievement of the Microgravity SIMST program is the creation of the Microgravity SIMST Implementation Guide – a free, adaptable resource designed to help organizations bring microgravity-enabled science into their communities. Built for scalability, the guide offers a detailed, step-by-step framework providing everything needed to replicate the workshop-based program with ease and impact including ready-to-use templates, agendas, evaluation tools, sample assessment criteria, contacts for support and more.

While originally crafted for middle school teachers, the Microgravity SIMST Implementation Guide adapts seamlessly for high school and college educator audiences, opening doors to meaningful STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) learning at every level. The flexible and user-friendly implementation guide empowers school district administrators, universities, museums, libraries, and nonprofits to launch their own Microgravity SIMST programs, ensuring organizations everywhere can host the professional development workshops with confidence and ease.

By removing operational barriers, ASU opens the door for communities nationwide to offer landmark STEM opportunities, especially in underserved or rural areas. Arizona teacher Rebecca Bhasme shared, "Implementing a microgravity activity in my classroom was such an exciting opportunity for both me and my students — it brought real-world science into our rural setting in a way that was both engaging and inspiring." With the Microgravity SIMST Implementation Guide, ASU is helping prepare students everywhere to reach higher, think bolder, and shape the future.

ASU Interplanetary Initiative’s commitment to fostering a robust STEM workforce pipeline includes a focus on middle school as a critical turning point when student engagement in STEM often begins to decline. Through this program and its open-access implementation guide, ASU is creating real pathways to opportunity — both in Arizona and across the nation — by putting world-class STEM education into the hands of the people who can make the greatest difference: teachers.

Recognizing that a single teacher can positively impact more than one hundred students each year, the Microgravity SIMST program delivers targeted professional development that creates a lasting ripple effect in classrooms and communities. “One of the key strategies in workforce development is to bring awareness to young people about career opportunities,” explains Angela Krause-Kuchta, Director of Education at Orion’s Quest. “The Microgravity SIMST workshops provide teachers the resources to bring such awareness to their classrooms. Helping teachers gain confidence in content knowledge and delivery, and introducing them to resources available to connect their students to authentic research, the workshops provide the impetus for students to imagine themselves in STEM careers.”

Armed with knowledge and tools from the workshop, educators are empowered to help students see themselves in an expanding universe of career possibilities. By preparing teachers to reach students early with meaningful, immersive learning experiences, ASU isn’t just preparing future astronauts or engineers — it’s cultivating a generation equipped to tackle global challenges ranging from climate resilience to health innovation by building the critical thinking and problem-solving skills needed for the future.

The Microgravity SIMST program is reshaping how educators across disciplines engage with space science by providing the background knowledge and curricular support needed to integrate microgravity concepts into a variety of classrooms. Whether teaching biology, physics or health, educators discover meaningful ways to connect microgravity to their subject matter and spark student curiosity.

For Ardsher Ahmed, a computer science teacher based in California, the experience was eye-opening. He never expected to teach space science, but the workshop shifted his perspective. “I never taught microgravity-enabled science before,” he said. “Attending the SIMST on Microgravity in Stanford enabled my growth mindset to learn, adapt, and apply it to my curriculum and pedagogy.”

Through the program, Ahmed discovered new ways to connect microgravity to coding, problem-solving, and real-world STEM applications. Equipped with new tools and confidence, he brought fresh energy into his classroom. “Students really enjoyed doing the activities and found it fun to learn about the concept of microgravity” he added.

Stories like Ahmed’s underscore the value of making this model accessible. To help scale this success, the Microgravity SIMST Implementation Guide serves as a critical resource for organizations seeking to replicate the program’s impact. It provides a clear roadmap from planning to evaluation that ensures other institutions can bring high-quality professional development to their educators. The guide reflects ASU’s commitment to not only advancing science education locally, but also empowering a national movement to inspire the next generation of thinkers and innovators.