<description>&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Show Summary:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="sqsrte-small" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;In this episode, Claire shares her recent discovery of a backyard superfood – the Black Soldier Fly! She and Natasha discuss how this creature plays a key role in ecosystems involving efficient decomposition, nutritional livestock feed, and even in future space habitats. Learn why you may want to get involved, too! &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="sqsrte-small" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;Links from the Show:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Related The STEM Space Podcast Episodes &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/thestemspace/2025/197/rockets-and-chickens"&gt;197. You Should Build a Rocket… Seriously&lt;/a&gt; (Part 1)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/thestemspace/2025/199/chickens-and-rockets"&gt;199. Chickens and Rockets&lt;/a&gt; (Part 2)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Vivify STEM Blog Posts &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/blog/2021/school-garden-stem-project"&gt;Design A School Garden STEM Project&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/blog/2022/1/18/go-on-a-mission-to-mars"&gt;Go on a Mission to Mars!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Vivify STEM Lessons&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/new-products/p/design-a-school-garden-stem-project-guide-6787210"&gt;Design a School Garden: STEM Project Guide&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;Build a Colony on the &lt;a href="/new-products/p/mission-to-moon-planning-game-moon-base-stem-project-5089512"&gt;Moon&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href="/new-products/p/design-a-mars-colony-stemsteam-project-bundle"&gt;Mars&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Other STEM Resources&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://grubblyfarms.com/pages/black-soldier-flies"&gt;All About Black Soldier Flies | Grubbly Farms&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.urbanfarm.org/blog/podcast/"&gt;The Urban Farm Podcast&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://entomology.tamu.edu/people/tomberlin-jeff/"&gt;Dr. Jeff Tomberlin | Texas A&amp;amp;M&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://flybox.bio/waste-into-wealth-black-soldier-fly-frass-explained/"&gt;Transforming Waste into Wealth: Black Soldier Fly Frass Explained | Flybox&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/quicktips"&gt;Quick Tips&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/thestemspace/2025/200/super-space-bugs"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/thestemspace/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;THE STEM SPACE FACEBOOK GROUP&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/vivifystem"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VIVIFY INSTAGRAM&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.facebook.com/vivifystem"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VIVIFY FACEBOOK&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/vivifystem"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VIVIFY &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;X&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@vivifystem"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VIVIFY TIKTOK&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/@VivifySTEM"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VIVIFY YOUTUBE&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://bsky.app/profile/vivifystem.bsky.social"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VIVIFY BLUESKY&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

From Backyard Superfood to Space Habitats

In this episode, Claire shares her recent discovery of a backyard superfood – the Black Soldier Fly! She and Natasha discuss how this creature plays a key role in ecosystems involving efficient decomposition, nutritional livestock feed, and even in future space habitats. Learn why you may want to get involved, too! 

200. SUPER SPACE BUGS!

<description>&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Show Summary:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="sqsrte-small" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;In this episode, Claire shares how she tells her story to inspire students and realistically see themselves achieving their dreams. Hear about her recent outreach day teaching about rockets using a home-built 8 foot tall model and of course an update on her chickens. Also get a taste of how STEM teachers can address the social emotional learning of their students. Natasha and Claire may not agree on the method of doing so. Tune in to hear more! &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="sqsrte-small" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;Links from the Show:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Related The STEM Space Podcast Episodes &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Related The STEM Space Podcast Episodes &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/thestemspace/2025/197/rockets-and-chickens"&gt;197. You Should Build a Rocket… Seriously&lt;/a&gt; (Part 1)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/thestemspace/2025/198/engineers-guide-to-thoughts-and-emotions"&gt;198. An Engineer's Guide to Thoughts and Emotions (ft. Alison West and Audrey Gilfillan)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/thestemspace/2024/153/dont-tell-your-kid-to-be-an-engineer"&gt;153. Don't Tell Your Kid to be an Engineer&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Vivify STEM Blog Posts &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/blog?category=Rocketry"&gt;How to Launch Rockets&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.vivifystem.com/blog/2014/12/8/i-didnt-always-want-to-be-an-engineer"&gt;&lt;em&gt;I Didn’t Always Want to be an Engineer&lt;/em&gt; - Claire&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.vivifystem.com/blog/2020/6/12/boost-social-emotional-learning-with-stem"&gt;12 Ways to Boost Social-Emotional Learning with STEM&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.vivifystem.com/blog/2020/how-to-teach-growth-mindset-and-failing-forward"&gt;How to Teach Growth Mindset and Failing Forward&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Vivify STEM Lessons&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="" href="/new-products/p/design-a-straw-rocket-middle-school-stem-unit-engineering-our-cosmos-3373466"&gt;Straw Rocket STEM Challenge&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.vivifystem.com/new-products/p/upstairs-downstairs-brain-paper-circuit-sel-stem-activity-7966078"&gt;Upstairs Downstairs Brain Paper Circuit SEL STEM Activity&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.vivifystem.com/new-products/p/astronaut-training-4-cs-of-stem-back-to-school-stem-activities-10441050"&gt;Astronaut Training: 4 Cs of STEM&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;FREE!&lt;/strong&gt; - &lt;a href="https://www.vivifystem.com/stemspace-explorer/library-search/engineering-framework-posters"&gt;Engineering Framework Habits of Mind Posters&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://vivify-stem.squarespace.com/new-products/p/astro-rover-space-science-engineering-design-unit-11948373"&gt;Astro-Rover Space Science &amp;amp; Engineering Design Unit&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Other STEM Resources&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/chickens-and-cold-weather-zb0z10zblon/"&gt;Chickens and Cold Weather: How Cold Can Chickens Tolerate?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/mars-pathfinder-sojourner-rover/"&gt;Mars Pathfinder Sojourner Rover - Jet Propulsion Laboratory&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://amzn.to/4nKkxqi"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Decompile Your Mind: An Engineer’s Guide to Thoughts and Emotions&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;(book)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="mailto:info@vivifystem.com?subject=Questions%20from%20The%20STEM%20Space!"&gt;Email us your questions!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/thestemspace/2025/199/chickens-and-rockets"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/thestemspace/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;THE STEM SPACE FACEBOOK GROUP&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/vivifystem"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VIVIFY INSTAGRAM&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.facebook.com/vivifystem"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VIVIFY FACEBOOK&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/vivifystem"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VIVIFY &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;X&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@vivifystem"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VIVIFY TIKTOK&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/@VivifySTEM"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VIVIFY YOUTUBE&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://bsky.app/profile/vivifystem.bsky.social"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VIVIFY BLUESKY&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

How to reach your rocket dreams and have SEL Debates

In this episode, Claire shares how she tells her story to inspire students and realistically see themselves achieving their dreams. Hear about her recent outreach day teaching about rockets using a home-built 8 foot tall model and of course an update on her chickens. Also get a taste of how STEM teachers can address the social emotional learning of their students. Natasha and Claire may not agree on the method of doing so. Tune in to hear more! 

199. Chickens and Rockets (Part 2)

<description>&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Show Summary:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="sqsrte-small" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;In this episode, Claire is joined by Audrey Gilfillan and Alison West, licensed professional counselors and embedded therapists in the &lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.colorado.edu/engineering/"&gt;College of Engineering and Applied Science at CU Boulder&lt;/a&gt;. Together, they bring extensive experience in college mental health, academic and career support, and community-based counseling. Audrey and Alison are co-authors of &lt;a target="_blank" href="https://amzn.to/4nKkxqi"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Decompile Your Mind: An Engineer’s Guide to Thoughts and Emotions&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; and co-founders of &lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.appliedwellnessinitiatives.com/"&gt;Applied Wellness Initiatives&lt;/a&gt;, where they help educators, managers, and professionals integrate mental health awareness into their work and academic communities. Their shared passion is supporting young adults as they balance personal well-being with academic and professional goals in a fast-changing world.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="sqsrte-small" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;Links from the Show:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="sqsrte-small" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Resources Mentioned&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://amzn.to/4nKkxqi"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Decompile Your Mind: An Engineer’s Guide to Thoughts and Emotions&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt; &lt;/em&gt;(book)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/10864822231170551"&gt;Scaffolded Mental Health Support Model&lt;/a&gt; (article)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="http://appliedwellnessinitiatives.com"&gt;Applied Health Initiatives&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="mailto:info@vivifystem.com?subject=Questions%20from%20The%20STEM%20Space!"&gt;Email us your questions!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Related The STEM Space Podcast Episodes &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/thestemspace/2024/146/is-it-squishy"&gt;146. Is It Squishy? How to Build Engineering Intuition&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/thestemspace/2024/153/dont-tell-your-kid-to-be-an-engineer"&gt;153. Don't Tell Your Kid to be an Engineer&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/thestemspace/2022/59/how-to-motivate-students-and-regulate-emotions-in-stem"&gt;59. How to Motivate Students and Regulate Emotions in STEM&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Vivify STEM Blog Posts &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/blog/2014/12/8/i-didnt-always-want-to-be-an-engineer"&gt;&lt;em&gt;I Didn’t Always Want to be an Engineer&lt;/em&gt; - Claire&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/blog/2020/6/12/boost-social-emotional-learning-with-stem"&gt;12 Ways to Boost Social-Emotional Learning with STEM&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/blog/2020/how-to-teach-growth-mindset-and-failing-forward"&gt;How to Teach Growth Mindset and Failing Forward&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/blog/2025/integrate-stem-in-your-gifted-and-talented"&gt;How to Integrate STEM into Your Gifted &amp;amp; Talented Program&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/blog/2017/2/20/not-all-stem-is-equal-3-stages-of-stem-education"&gt;Not All STEM is Equal: The 3 stages of STEM Education&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Vivify STEM Lessons&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;FREE!&lt;/strong&gt; - &lt;a href="/stemspace-explorer/library-search/engineering-framework-posters"&gt;Engineering Framework Habits of Mind Posters&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/new-products/p/astronaut-training-4-cs-of-stem-back-to-school-stem-activities-10441050"&gt;Astronaut Training: 4C's of STEM Middle School Unit&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="" href="https://www.vivifystem.com/new-products/p/stem-creativity-tools-5-activities-to-boost-brainstorming-power"&gt;STEM Creativity Tools: 5 Activities to Boost Brainstorming Power&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/new-products/p/design-a-car-engineering-design-challenge-1st-grade-stem-discoveries-13618304"&gt;Design a Car Engineering Design Challenge&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/new-products/p/upstairs-downstairs-brain-paper-circuit-sel-stem-activity-7966078"&gt;Upstairs Downstairs Brain Paper Circuit SEL STEM Activity&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/thestemspace/2025/198/engineers-guide-to-thoughts-and-emotions"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/thestemspace/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;THE STEM SPACE FACEBOOK GROUP&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/vivifystem"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VIVIFY INSTAGRAM&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.facebook.com/vivifystem"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VIVIFY FACEBOOK&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/vivifystem"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VIVIFY &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;X&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@vivifystem"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VIVIFY TIKTOK&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/@VivifySTEM"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VIVIFY YOUTUBE&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://bsky.app/profile/vivifystem.bsky.social"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VIVIFY BLUESKY&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Supporting Young Engineers: Balancing Mental Health, Academic Success, and Career Growth

In this episode, Claire is joined by Audrey Gilfillan and Alison West, licensed professional counselors and embedded therapists in the College of Engineering and Applied Science at CU Boulder. Together, they bring extensive experience in college mental health, academic and career support, and community-based counseling. Audrey and Alison are co-authors of Decompile Your Mind: An Engineer’s Guide to Thoughts and Emotions and co-founders of Applied Wellness Initiatives, where they help educators, managers, and professionals integrate mental health awareness into their work and academic communities. Their shared passion is supporting young adults as they balance personal well-being with academic and professional goals in a fast-changing world.
About Audrey: Audrey Gilfillan is a licensed professional counselor and works as an Embedded Therapist in the College of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Colorado at Boulder. With a background in academic coaching, career counseling, and college mental health, Audrey specializes supporting college students as they navigate the intersection of their academic goals and mental health.

About Alison: Alison West is a licensed professional counselor and addiction specialist who also works as an Embedded Therapist in the College of Engineering and Applied Science at CU Boulder. Prior to working in higher education, Alison worked in community mental health, providing direct support through ongoing therapy, crisis response, and case management. Alison is passionate about supporting young adults as they navigate the challenges of an ever-changing world.
About Applied Wellness Initiatives: At Applied Wellness Initiatives, Gilfillan and West translate emotional wellness into a language that resonates with engineers—using logic-based explanations, engineering examples, and applicable tools and processes. They offer emotional intelligence workshops, support for managers as they support their employees, engineering performance coaching, and their book - Decompile Your Mind - to help engineers and engineering teams improve performance, stay longer, and feel better.

198. An Engineer's Guide to Thoughts and Emotions (ft. Alison West and Audrey Gilfillan)

<description>&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Show Summary:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;In this episode, Natasha and Claire dive into Claire’s upcoming outreach presentation on rockets. As Claire builds a large-scale cutaway model to showcase each part of a rocket, they explore the value of hands-on learning, problem-solving activities, and tackling common misconceptions about rockets. Plus, stick around for a fun update on Claire’s chickens!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;Links from the Show:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Related The STEM Space Podcast Episodes &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/thestemspace/2025/194/be-a-stem-expert"&gt;194. Should You Be a STEM Expert?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/thestemspace/2024/147/when-stem-heats-up-summer-stem-failures"&gt;147. When STEM Heats Up! Summer STEM Failures&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/thestemspace/2022/82/how-to-rock-it-with-rockets"&gt;82. How to Rock it with Rockets&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/thestemspace/2023/119/think-like-a-scientist"&gt;119. Think Like A Scientist&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Vivify STEM Blog Posts &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/blog/2017-halloween-fall-stem"&gt;5 STEM Activities for Fall &amp;amp; Halloween&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.vivifystem.com/blog/category/Rocketry"&gt;How to Launch Rockets blog posts&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/blog/2024/brick-by-brick"&gt;Brick by Brick: Intro to Criteria and Constraints&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Vivify STEM Lessons&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/new-products/p/intro-to-stem-think-like-a-scientist-engineer-1239252"&gt;Intro to STEM: Think Like a Scientist &amp;amp; Engineer!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.vivifystem.com/new-products/p/design-a-school-garden-stem-project-guide-6787210"&gt;Design a School Garden: STEM Project Guide&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;Straw Rocket STEM Challenge: &lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.vivifystem.com/new-products/p/straw-rocket-stem-challenge-forces-motion"&gt;K-3&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.vivifystem.com/new-products/p/straw-rocket-stem-challenge-forces-motion-variables"&gt;4-10&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Other STEM Resources&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://modernpoultry.media/walking-on-eggshells-assessing-anxiety-in-chickens/?mp=1761863922561"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Walking on eggshells — Assessing anxiety in chickens&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.pitsco.com/Straw-Rocket-Launcher"&gt;Pitsco Straw Rocket Launcher&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://estesrockets.com//discount/DUW10?redirect=/products/alpha-iii-launch-set?_pos=1&amp;amp;_sid=8ca2b15da&amp;amp;_ss=r&amp;amp;aff=15"&gt;Estes Rockets: Alpha III Launch Set&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/beginners-guide-to-aeronautics/rocket-parts/"&gt;Rocket Parts - Glenn Research Center - NASA&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/vivifyteam"&gt;Meet the Vivify Team&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://vivify-stem.squarespace.com/subscribe"&gt;Subscribe to the Vivify Newsletter!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/thestemspace/2025/197/rockets-and-chickens"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/thestemspace/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;THE STEM SPACE FACEBOOK GROUP&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/vivifystem"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VIVIFY INSTAGRAM&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.facebook.com/vivifystem"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VIVIFY FACEBOOK&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/vivifystem"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VIVIFY X&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@vivifystem"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VIVIFY TIKTOK&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/@VivifySTEM"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VIVIFY YOUTUBE&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

One Rocket, Nine Chickens, Infinite Curiosity

In this episode, Natasha and Claire dive into Claire’s upcoming outreach presentation on rockets. As Claire builds a large-scale cutaway model to showcase each part of a rocket, they explore the value of hands-on learning, problem-solving activities, and tackling common misconceptions about rockets. Plus, stick around for a fun update on Claire’s chickens!

197. You Should Build a Rocket… Seriously

<description>&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Show Summary:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;In this episode of the STEM Space podcast, Claire chats with the Founder &amp;amp; CEO of &lt;a target="_blank" href="http://Changemakereducation.com"&gt;Changemaker Education&lt;/a&gt;, David Richards. He shares his passion for love-based, personalized education that led to establishing a microschool for his own children. As an alternative to the outdated factory model of education, microschools tailor learning to the children that are being served. Tune in to hear how David turned his passion and problem solving into an organization to help others start their own microschools and learn how you can too! &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;About David Richards, Founder &amp;amp; CEO of Changemaker Education:&lt;/strong&gt; David K. Richards is the Founder &amp;amp; CEO of Changemaker Education, a national network of affiliate love-based microschools and an incubator for founders who want to usher in a new paradigm for the future of education. He is also the host of the Changemaker ED“U” podcast. Previously, he was Founder &amp;amp; CEO of Growth Public Schools, and a founding teacher and leader with Summit Public Schools where he launched several innovative schools. In addition he serves as a leadership and life coach. David has worked in education reform for over 25 years as a teacher, principal, executive, and board member. He lives in Sacramento, CA with his wife and his two children, and holds a BA from UC Berkeley and an MA from Stanford University.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;Links from the Show:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Related The STEM Space Podcast Episodes &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/thestemspace/2022/59/how-to-motivate-students-and-regulate-emotions-in-stem"&gt;59. How to Motivate Students and Regulate Emotions in STEM&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/thestemspace/2025/193/manufacturing-engineers"&gt;193. Are You Manufacturing Engineers?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Vivify STEM Blog Posts &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/blog/2014/12/8/i-didnt-always-want-to-be-an-engineer"&gt;&lt;em&gt;I Didn’t Always Want to be an Engineer&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/blog/2024/01/17/astronaut-training-4-cs-of-stem"&gt;Astronaut Training and the 4 C's of STEM&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/blog/2020/6/12/boost-social-emotional-learning-with-stem"&gt;12 Ways to Boost Social-Emotional Learning with STEM&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/blog/2020/how-to-teach-growth-mindset-and-failing-forward"&gt;How to Teach Growth Mindset and Failing Forward&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Vivify STEM Lessons&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/new-products/p/astronaut-training-4-cs-of-stem-back-to-school-stem-activities-10441050"&gt;Astronaut Training: 4C's of STEM Middle School Unit | Engineering Our Cosmos&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/new-products/p/paper-football-math-activity-ratio-proportions-with-stem-careers-1222196"&gt;Paper Football Math Activity: Ratio &amp;amp; Proportions with STEM Careers&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/new-products/p/heart-rate-math-activity"&gt;Heart Rate Ratios &amp;amp; Graphing Activity&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/new-products/p/wearable-device-sports-engineering-activity-sports-stem-7226729"&gt;Wearable Device Sports Engineering Activity (Sports &amp;amp; STEM)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/new-products/p/Brain-Safety-STEM-Challenge-Design-a-Football-Helmet"&gt;Brain Safety STEM Challenge: Design a Football Helmet&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Other STEM Resources&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="http://Changemakereducation.com"&gt;Changemaker Education&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="/our-story"&gt;Vivify STEM’s Story&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://amshq.org/about-montessori/press-kit/what-is-montessori/"&gt;Montessori Method&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.changemakereducation.com/podcast"&gt;Changemaker ED”U” Podcast&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.vivifystem.com/thestemspace/2025/196/start-a-microschool"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/thestemspace/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;THE STEM SPACE FACEBOOK GROUP&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/vivifystem"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VIVIFY INSTAGRAM&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.facebook.com/vivifystem"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VIVIFY FACEBOOK&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/vivifystem"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VIVIFY X&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@vivifystem"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VIVIFY TIKTOK&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;"&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/@VivifySTEM"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VIVIFY YOUTUBE&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

“From Passion to Microschools: Reimagining Education One Child at a Time

In this episode of the STEM Space podcast, Claire chats with the Founder & CEO of Changemaker Education, David Richards. He shares his passion for love-based, personalized education that led to establishing a microschool for his own children. As an alternative to the outdated factory model of education, microschools tailor learning to the children that are being served. Tune in to hear how David turned his passion and problem solving into an organization to help others start their own microschools and learn how you can too! 
About David Richards, Founder & CEO of Changemaker Education: David K. Richards is the Founder & CEO of Changemaker Education, a national network of affiliate love-based microschools and an incubator for founders who want to usher in a new paradigm for the future of education. He is also the host of the Changemaker ED“U” podcast. Previously, he was Founder & CEO of Growth Public Schools, and a founding teacher and leader with Summit Public Schools where he launched several innovative schools. In addition he serves as a leadership and life coach. David has worked in education reform for over 25 years as a teacher, principal, executive, and board member. He lives in Sacramento, CA with his wife and his two children, and holds a BA from UC Berkeley and an MA from Stanford University.

196. You Can Start a Microschool (ft. Changemaker Education's David Richards) 

<p>Two engineers turned educators discuss resources, tips, and current events within the scope of STEM education.</p>

The STEM Space

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