Continuing National Hispanic Heritage Month

October 11, 2024
Space Center Houston

Twenty-Four Young Women from Latin America Joined Space Center Houston’s Space University Beyond Program

Space Center Houston continues to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month proudly welcoming 24 talented young women from Latin America to its Space University Beyond program. This opportunity was made possible through the partnership with the Colombia-based nonprofit SHE-IS Foundation, their sponsors, and NASA’s Office of Hispanic Employee Resource Group (HERG), enabling the students to travel and gain valuable skills in teamwork, problem-solving, communication, and engineering. Together, we’re empowering the next generation of STEM leaders and access for all. Photo Courtesy | Space Center Houston

HOUSTON, TX (OCTOBER 11, 2024) – This National Hispanic Heritage Month, Space Center Houston welcomed 24 exceptional young women to its Space University Beyond program. Hailing from Colombia (11 participants), Ecuador (11 participants), and Peru (2 participants), these students embarked on an engaging educational experience with hands-on activities that simulated planning their own space mission, conducted entirely in Spanish, allowing them to fully immerse themselves in the language and cultural aspects of space exploration.

Throughout the Space U Beyond program, students work together to develop real-world solutions to the challenges of space exploration, fostering creativity and innovation. The students collaborate in groups diving into the dynamic subjects of rocketry, robotics, coding, heat shields, and sustainable living in hazardous environments connecting with current NASA missions such as Artemis.

This initiative was made possible through the partnership of the SHE-IS Foundation, their generous sponsors, and the support of NASA’s Office of Hispanic Employee Resource Group (HERG) to engage our Latin American communities.

Space Center Houston proudly partners with the SHE-IS Foundation, a Colombian nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering young girls and women through entrepreneurship, self-esteem, and community services. The NASA Office of Hispanic Employee Resource Group (HERG) supports both organizations in their mission to enhance opportunities for the Hispanic community. Photo Courtesy | Space Center Houston

At Space Center Houston, we emphasize that space belongs to everyone, and having greater accessibility to the wonders of space brings people and space closer together.

“During Hispanic Heritage Month, we celebrated our 8th Space University Beyond cohort. Space Center Houston is committed to providing more opportunities like this to Latin America students, having hosted participants from Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, The Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, and Panama,” said William T. Harris, president and CEO of Space Center Houston. “To date, we have served 228 students on-site and 1,124 virtually through our Space U Beyond program. We look forward to welcoming 68 more students in the coming months, all eager to explore the wonders of space exploration.”