An independent judging panel reviewed submissions and recommended eight winners. Due to the volume of submissions received, a set of independent reviewers conducted an initial review of eligible submissions. A subset of the highest-scoring submissions was then reviewed by the independent judging panel.
Selection criteria
Call to action. The extent to which the submission demonstrates a design for a product or service that will contribute to space missions and exploration.
CTE connection. The extent to which the submission demonstrates an ability and intention to incorporate available CTE programs and include CTE students at the school.
Learning outcomes. The extent to which the submission demonstrates an ability and intention to improve students’ knowledge and hands-on exposure to space skills and multidisciplinary content.
Student populations. The extent to which the submission focuses on students from special populations and underserved student populations (see definition in Federal Register).
Community engagement. The extent to which the submission describes how the entrant plans to engage the broader educational ecosystem that includes, but is not limited to students, parents, industry partners, local governments, and community organizations.
Additional characteristics
The Department of Education reviewed the recommendations of the judges. To ensure diverse distribution of awards, the Department considered additional characteristics when selecting winners from the top-scoring submissions, including:
- Geographic location and local population density.
- Percentage of students enrolled in free and reduced price lunch programs under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1759), as amended through P.L. 116–6.
- School size (number of students).