Board of directors
Advisory Board
Our Goal
It is our goal to inspire and educate the next generation to travel beyond our solar system and support the research and development of enabling technologies. The mission of the Limitless Educator Program is to inspire innovative educators to teach beyond the general curriculum. We are looking for educators from around the world that have integrity, an out-of-this-world imagination, and the courage to try new things in the classroom.
The Limitless Space Institute is thrilled to announce our first class of Limitless Educators!
Class of 2023
Lauren Parker
Fort Worth Academy
Texas
“I am so excited to be accepted into the Limitless Education Program to bring the latest in space research to my students. This phenomenal group of educators are all doing great things in their classrooms and communities and I’m excited to learn from them. I look forward to how we are able to bring new experiences to our students.”
Janelle Harrier-Wilson
The Hazeley Academy
United Kingdom
“Being part of the Limitless Education Program will allow me to share with students how we can go incredibly fast and explore beyond our solar system. I am excited for this opportunity and to be able to continue sharing the excitement that surrounds space exploration with my students in England.”
Sha’Rell Webb
Coding With a Twist
Texas
“I believe that being a Limitless Educator Ambassador I will be equipped to provide for children, adolescents, and young adults the support of development for lifespan goals with the understanding that learning never stops. It is my aim to enable individuals to reach their full potential, live happy and fulfilling lives, and be engaged as active citizens in a global society.”
Milton Lima
STEM Early High School
North Carolina
“I am very excited to be in the LSI Educator Program because it is a great chance to be around excellent professionals in the Space Education field and bring more opportunities to my students and my community. As an international teacher, I have learned that my job is to provide opportunities for our children to be whatever they want and become successful citizens, just like one day a teacher believed in me and opened the door to my dreams.”
Lisa Werner
St. Bruno Parish School
Wisconsin
“I’m so excited to be a part of this program as I’m looking forward to professional development. I also am looking forward to the networking with rockstar teachers, and learning more about the Limitless Space Institute!”
Kevin Simmons
The Greene School
Florida
“Finding new opportunities for my students, my team and myself is a constant priority. I enjoy new challenges and experiences.”
Claudia Cortez
Gladys Porter Early College HS
Texas
“I am excited to be accepted into the Limitless Education Program because I am part of the inaugural class. This will be a life-changing opportunity for me to meet fellow educators that have the same interest to educate and inspire the next generation of space explorers.”
Katie Belloli
Westfield Intermediate School
Indiana
“I love learning from and sharing ideas with educators who are passionate about space exploration and STEM education. It rejuvenates and inspires me. It also allows me to bring back awesomeness to my students, colleagues and community.”
Megan Tucker
Hillsboro Charter Academy
Virginia
“I CANNOT wait to network with this STELLAR TEAM of EDUCATORS! I also am excited to learn more about an area of space exploration that I don’t know a lot about and figure out how to transfer my new knowledge through creating lessons for my scholars as well as to share with teachers!”
Jackie Blumer
Greenville Jr. High School
Illinois
“I am so excited to be a part of LSI-1! I can’t wait to learn from the professionals in the field and work with the other amazing educators in our group to educate and inspire our future generations of deep space explorers.”
Jenny McCall
Wilburn Middle School
Kentucky
“I am excited to learn about current engineering advances towards space exploration. I am beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to design and implement curriculum in my classroom to help students dream beyond the limits that they daily encounter. Many of my students have never left Lexington but they get so excited to understand our place in the universe and the limitless possibilities we have yet to explore!”
Jill Weaver
Valley View Jr. High
Ohio
“I am excited to learn and share what is next in Deep Space Exploration and for opportunities at LSI to offer an open window view to students about the future world they will live and work in.”
Krystal Rolon
Glenelg Country School
Maryland
“I’m excited to be accepted into the Limitless Education Program because it offers a fantastic opportunity to learn about the future of space travel and the technology that will make it possible. I know that this experience will benefit the expansion of my school’s STEAM program, and students will enjoy a future-focused space science curriculum!”
Michael Parkhill
Valley View ISD
Texas
“The key to human survival in the future is the ability to travel through interstellar space. the technology breakthroughs that come from scientific research will even improve life on the Earth. I am excited to be a part of this program and to help inspire others to enter STEM fields and educate the public on the importance of this program. Scientists and engineers consider the development of warp drive to be the holy grail of space exploration.”
Meredith Swartzendruber
Commonwealth Charter Academy
“I am so excited to grow more as an educator and bring out of this world experiences to my students!! Providing students innovative opportunities will allow them to grow as learners and think outside the box.”
Jamie Chanter
Lakewood High School
Ohio
“Being accepted into the Limitless Education Program is such an honor! I’m thrilled to be surrounded by likeminded space enthusiast educators!”
Ashlie Smith
Cranbrook Kingswood Middle School for Girls
Michigan
“As a Limitless Educator, I will be able to collaborate with highly motivated and inspirational teachers from all over the world. I am honored to be a part of this inaugural group which will challenge me to develop and share lessons for students and experience unique opportunities that are out of this world!”
Christina Sommerkamp
Licking Heights Local Schools Ohio
“I can’t wait to share thoughts, ideas with like minded educators. The ideas of limitless space is in itself exciting.”
Jeff Leider
Craig High School
Wisconsin
“As a long-time educator, I’ve endured changing with the times. I’ve always wondered what drives innovation in Physics, Technology, and Engineering for kids, teachers, and graduates. Is it simple curiosity, background, hard work, experience, leadership ability, or age? Maybe a combination of those? I’m excited to be part of the Limitless Space Institute because I want to play a role in that innovation, I hope my talents will contribute in a valuable way.”
Meriam Lepasana
Bureau of Learning Resources, Dept. of Education
Phillipines
“The Limitless Educator Program will enable STEAM educators and advocates like me to open the learners’ minds to the possibility of turning the limited into limitless, particularly in relation to deep space exploration. Aside from top-notch professional development, it also provides opportunities for collaboration among passionate STEAM educators and advocates from around the world. I am exhilarated to be accepted into this wonderful program which is an epitome of what it means to be inspired in order to inspire.”
Congratulations to our Limitless Lab Booster recipients!
Ashlie Smith
Middle School Science Teacher
Cranbrook Kingswood Middle School for Girls
Project: Full STEAM Ahead: Air, Sea and Space
“I am thrilled to be working with Limitless Space Institute’s Lab Booster program. The funds from this grant will be used to enrich our STEM program for middle-school girls. The physics and engineering materials will foster higher-level inquiry and engagement, which will hopefully lead to the retention of females in science.”
Nicholas Krissie
Middle School Science Teacher
Lincoln Middle School
Project: Makerspace laser cutter
“The combination of authentic problems and access to high quality tools can turn all students, even those who are devoted to apathy, into engaged problem solvers. I can provide the authentic problems. I am so excited to see how my students use this lab booster to build real solutions.”
LSI executive Director
Kaci Heins
Meet our Executive Director, Kaci Heins, who also taught 7th and 8th-grade science in Louisville, Kentucky. She has been in the education field for almost 20 years. Along with teaching in the formal classroom setting, she was also an education director at Space Center Houston for five years. She is passionate about STEM and space education, which is what drew her back to the classroom. It was her passion for inspiring educators and communities that drew her into LSI.
“We live in exciting times to go back to the Moon and possibly Mars. However, we also need to have future generations of explorers look beyond. They will be a part of a workforce that is designing advanced power and propulsion systems to take us to the edge of the solar system and into interstellar space.”, she says. “It is exciting to be a part of Limitless Space Institute as I get to develop and implement learning experiences that will inspire innovative explorers to travel beyond. Plus, it is just incredibly fun!”
Kaci Heins is the recipient of the 2020 Alan Shepard Technology in Education Award, the AIAA Educator Achievement Award, and the Air Force Association National Teacher of the Year Award.