Kaci Heins

Kaci Heins serves as the Executive Director at the Limitless Space Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring and educating the upcoming generation about space exploration. With over 20 years in the education sector, her primary focus has been on STEM education intertwined with space exploration concepts.

Throughout her career, Kaci has partaken in a plethora of immersive STEM and space learning experiences that have profoundly shaped her perspective on space exploration. These include participating in two Zero-G flights carrying student experiments, overseeing two student experiments that launched to the International Space Station, and coordinating over ten high-altitude balloon launches, which transported student experiments to the stratosphere.

Deeply rooted in her beliefs, Kaci sees space exploration as an impactful learning tool for both students and educators in the realm of STEM education. She harbors a deep-seated passion for professional development within the STEM education community, particularly through the lens of space exploration. She believes that the foundation of inspiring the future STEM workforce and space explorers lies in nurturing educators who are fervent, well-informed, and confident in their teachings. According to Kaci, the journey of cultivating the next wave of innovators is heavily anchored in providing students with hands-on experiences tied directly to real-world scientific phenomena. She often asserts that the true ignition of a student’s passion and curiosity can only be achieved when educators themselves are equipped with the right knowledge, skills, and enthusiasm.

Kaci obtained her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and a Master of Arts in Secondary Education from Southeast Missouri State University. She has received numerous awards for her work, including the Alan Shepard Technology in Education Award, the AIAA Educator Achievement Award, the ISS National Lab Exceptional Educator Award, and the Air Force Association’s National Teacher of the Year Award.

To learn more, please visit: www.limitlessspace.org