A safe landing starts long before touchdown. It begins with a problem to solve, ideas to explore and a willingness to test and improve a design.
At Spring Branch Elementary School SBE), Mission: Safe Landing: An Artemis Engineering Challenge brings that engineering mindset to student learning through a 2026 J. Landon Short Mini Grant for Educators.
Congratulations to Malinda Lee, with Jeanie Ybarra, Patricia Gay, Ingrid Gonzalez Montano and Therese Sanchez, for this recognition and their work to create new possibilities for students.
With an Artemis-inspired focus, the project connects the excitement of space exploration with the thinking behind engineering. A safe-landing challenge offers students a meaningful reason to consider how a design works, what could make it stronger and how to respond when an idea needs revision.
That process puts students in an active role as problem-solvers. Developing a solution calls for creativity, while testing and improving it requires careful observation, persistence and a willingness to learn from results.
The project also connects classroom learning with a larger possibility: students can use their knowledge and ideas to tackle complex challenges. Whether their future interests lead toward engineering, science or another field, learning to ask questions and refine a solution helps prepare them for what comes next.
Made possible through generous community support, the J. Landon Short Mini Grants for Educators help turn creative ideas into meaningful classroom experiences. It’s #CollectiveGreatness in action.
You can help make great things happen for kids, too. Visit SBISD’s Engage page to learn how to support students, classrooms and schools.