For global educator/innovator Javier Montiel, space science, VR and XR are implements of outreach.

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As a bilingual instruction designer, Javier creates lessons for NASA–and for students worldwide.

He has garnered a number of awards for his work as an educational innovator, which has included providing professional development sessions to fellow educators, on technology.

In addition, he has introduced numerous initiatives to make hands-on, real-world-skill education available to underrepresented students, as well as for his classes at Texas’ Brazosport Independent School District. As the Co-Founder of Houston-based International Aerospace Academy, his mission is to empower both students and communities through world-class educational experiences, involving hands-on learning.

Just one of the initiatives Javier and his team have recently implemented, is the NASA SPARX Program.

Forging a new path – internationally

In November, 2021, International Aerospace Academy and nonprofit Aviation Youth Mentoring Program collaborated on the only version of the NASA SPARX Program to involve students both in the United States and internationally. Three hundred students from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Colombia and the U.S. worked remotely on projects based on NASA’s Artemis program.

Students created space habitats, and developed robots in XR. Sketching, design and programming, plus working with mentors from NASA and Cuernavaca’s Tecnológico de Monterrey campus, kept the students engaged and challenged in this pilot program.

Javier continues his work as a twenty-first century global education innovator, with new initiatives to involve larger numbers of students in Latin American countries and elsewhere in the very near future. Meanwhile, he invites educators, parents and students from around the world to get a look at the frameworks which International Aerospace Academy offers, for developing your own innovative programs!

Javier talked about the catalyst for his career as an innovator, shared the story of his work with NASA and offered a look at International Aerospace Academy’s current programs.

On this edition of Over Coffee®, we cover:

• How a student’s chance remark led to Javier’s current global education innovations;

• His early experiences, developing lessons for NASA;

• How Javier came to develop educational materials for international students;

• A fun story about the differences in the ways Japanese students approached lessons on space, during their first visit to the U.S., as opposed to their American counterparts;

• How Javier and his teacher team came to implement the NASA SPARX program in different countries outside of the United States;

• How students are creating robots in XR;

• New initiatives on which International Aerospace Academy will be working;

• How Javier first became involved in using VR in his educational work;

• One student’s ingenious creation, starting from scratch with the XR robot design;

• A closer look at the NASA SPARX program and what may be coming;

• One of the most important lessons which Javier considers that he learned from the NASA SPARX program;

• How you can support (and get involved with) the International Aerospace Academy!;

• Some good “failures” that helped students in the NASA SPARX program learn;

• What the NASA SPARX program could mean for arts students.