Each year, Space Center Houston honors a distinguished educator with the Cherri Brinley Outstanding Educator Award, recognizing their contributions to space exploration education at the Space Exploration Educators Conference (SEEC).
On Friday, February 7 the Cherri Brinley Outstanding Educator Award was presented to Javier Montiel, an aerospace educator andfounder of the International Aerospace Academy, a nonprofit empowering community through collaborative STEM programs and space education.
Montiel has been recognized globally for his efforts; connecting students and teachers from Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Japan, Estonia, and Romania. His work has been featured in the 3M Latin America Blog as one of the Best Stories of 2019 and was featured in the award-winning film Apizaco at the Cinespace/Houston Cinema Arts Festival.
Beyond his educational pursuits, Montiel holds the 2024 ISS National Lab STEM Award and was named one of the Top 100 Leaders in Education at the 2020 Global Forum for Education and Learning. Through his hands-on learning initiatives with ExoLab, VR/AR, Artificial Intelligence, and ISS Mimic lessons, Montiel inspires students’ passion for space exploration.
The Cherri Brinley Award is a longstanding tradition awarded at SEEC, in honor of the Houston native science educator, Cherri Brinley. Despite her courageous battle with terminal cancer, she inspired her peers and students to continue advancing in space exploration education with passion.
Brinley taught at the St. Edwards Catholic School in Spring, TX, seeking to turn space program opportunities into a reality for her students and was deeply admired by many. The award was created to recognize Brinley’s dedication to educators who share the same commitment to reach for the Moon and beyond.
“In a world where education shapes the future, this educator stands as a beacon of excellence,” said Daniel Newmyer, Space Center Houston’s Chief Learning Officer. “Javier’s unwavering commitment to fostering young minds and bridging classroom learning with real-world applications embodies the spirit of Cherri Brinley.”
Over 550 educators participated in this year’s three-day conference held February 6-8, which provided K-12 teachers with hands-on learning experience focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The event showcased keynote speaker Matthew Greenhouse, a NASA scientist, and featured NASA astronaut Megan McArthur, Chief Science Officer at Space Center Houston, as the panel moderator for “Lessons from Astronaut Training School.” The panel also included retired NASA astronauts Steve Bowen and Tony Antonelli, both members of the class of 2000. Apollo 13 astronaut Fred Haise was also in attendance.
Educators from diverse backgrounds engaged in STEM activities, including computer coding, VR moonwalking, creating classroom-sized spacecraft or Mars/Moon habitats, and more. Participants can earn up to 24 hours of continuing education credits.
