Valeria Jaramillo (UCLA): "Inspiring Future Planetary Defenders: Outreach, Teacher-Training, and Education Partnerships with NASA’s NEO Surveyor"

The Near-Earth Object (NEO) Surveyor mission, part of NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office, will use a space-based infrared telescope to discover and characterize potentially hazardous asteroids and comets. This presentation provides an overview of the mission's core science objectives, mission updates, and its public engagement initiatives with several educational partners. Leveraging the interdisciplinary nature of planetary science, the mission hosts hands-on, inquiry-based professional development opportunities, including the NEO Surveyor: Jr. Planetary Defenders Teacher-Training Workshop. Successful implementation during the Fall 2026 and Spring 2026 sessions enabled K–12 educators to effectively translate workshop materials and inquiry-based strategies into their classrooms, sparking curiosity, demystifying space science concepts, and fostering early interest in STEM careers. To sustain momentum and broaden impact, further efforts remain essential. Building on this success, a new collaboration with Long Beach City College (LBCC) brings pre-service students on an Educator track into upcoming workshops, strengthening the pipeline for future STEM educators and expanding early exposure to physical and planetary sciences.