WELCOME TO NIAUNIVERSE
Hosted by the National Institute of Aerospace, the NIAUniverse is a unique collection of virtual worlds designed to explore and create science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) content and experiences. Using exciting Internet gaming and chat technology, NIAUniverse is an interactive, synchronous environment that brings students, mentors, teachers, and experts together for collaborative, virtual interactions within this online world.
NIAUniverse brings users together from anywhere on the Internet, equalizing learning experiences and offering students collaborative opportunities to interact with others beyond their geographical reach. This virtual setting has proven to help students find their voice more than some traditional settings. The interactive, social environments engage students and adults in both formal and nonformal educational settings and through both synchronous and asynchronous activities.
NIAUniverse is the setting for the semi-finalist competitions of the 2020 NASA OPTIMUS PRIME Spinoff Promotion and Research Challenge (NASA OPSPARC), https://opsparc.gsfc.nasa.gov.
Middle and high school students, mentored by engineering and STEM college students, develop 3D virtual models and marketing plans for their NASA Spinoff ideas within this virtual setting. The winning NASA OPSPARC middle and high school teams will be selected based upon their work and presentations within NIAUniverse.
An example of student work from a past challenge may be seen here: