Laura will be happy to visit your facility and provide a motivational lecture or a lecture on topics related to science and/or NASA missions. Hands-on activities may accompany the lectures if they are applicable and requested. Laura also presents at career days and is available, as a NASA Master Educator, to provide professional development training workshops for educators resulting in teachers earning six professional development credits toward their yearly requirement. Laura’s audiences are comprised of individuals of varying ages, K-Gray, as well as individuals with varying ability levels. Listed below are summary descriptions of a few, not all, of the lectures that Laura offers and we encourage you to view the listings of her past and recent lectures under the curriculum vitae link as well. All lectures are modified to accommodate the age and diversity of the audience.

Program Costs: $500

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (RRR) – From the Earth to the Moon

This program discusses our RRR sustainable practices here on earth and how these practices will serve us in our efforts to colonize the moon. The Artemis moon mission will be discussed as well as the BAGUP NJ campaign. The lecture will illuminate the reasons why RRR is so important in keeping our oceans and food supply healthy and plastic free while also detailing NASA’s goal to have the first female, the next male, and the first person of color on the moon by 2024.

Runaway Success: The Story of a Runaway that Found a Home in the Cosmos.

Come join Laura as she illuminates her path from a runaway at 14 years old to her current path in life. Sometimes we feel depressed or hopeless because we are in situations that appear out of our control. We unfairly measure our success against societal standards that are impossible to achieve and then we feel demoralized for not achieving those impossible standards. Journey with Laura for a brief moment as she illuminates our cosmic connection and demonstrates how our lives are intertwined with the dynamic forces of the universe. Humans, after all, are made up of atoms from stars that violently exploded during the earliest stages of the Universe’s formation. As Carl Sagan said “we are all star stuff” and Laura will communicate how we are even more that just a star while she inspires you to shine your brightest light upon the world.

WE ARE GOING: MOON 2024

On July 20, 2019, the world celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. The moon landing was a feat of engineering and ingenuity that remains unsurpassed in the history of humankind. Join NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador and Master Teacher, Laura Jean Checki, as she illuminates the next giant leap in humankind’s exploration of space and discusses NASA’s plans to go forward to the Moon and on to Mars. This lecture will include a Q&A session.

Universal Instructional Design (UID)

As Carl Sagan expressed: We are in the Universe and the Universe is in us. The wonders of the universe should be available to everyone regardless of perceived ability levels. Offering universally designed lectures, activities, and presentations ensure that science is available to everyone.  We live in a world where we encounter people with disabilities on a daily basis but are not always made aware that an individual is disabled. When we are aware that someone has a disability, we can prepare for how to appropriately interact with that individual and provide the necessary accommodations to aid them in their participation in our programs. Many times, we find ourselves caught off guard and less comfortable with our preconceived expectations of how to effectively communicate and teach to individuals that have disabilities.
This training will provide a better understanding of how to address the needs of people with various disabilities including those with physical limitations, cognitive impairments, and people with Autism. Michele Daly and Laura Jean Checki will share firsthand experiences, which will demonstrate methods to address, interact, accommodate, and be sensitive to a multifaceted audience. Participants will also have time to share experiences they were not prepared for in order to discuss what could be done to gain a better understanding of different strategies developed, implemented, and found to be effective. Learning how to “modify on the fly” is crucial in all educational settings including formal, informal, public, and private. Please join us as we review the importance of Universal Instructional Design (UID), strategies that will help you make necessary adjustments, and discuss how to develop inclusive programming so that you can reach the largest number of individuals at your event or in your school.
Laura’s accessible “No Star Out of Reach” program was awarded the 2013 Challenger Center for Space Science Education Innovation Award.

Astrobiology: The Search for Life

The question: “are we alone?” has been pondered by many individuals around the world. Space agencies are vigorously trying to answer that question and are dedicating portions of their missions to finding life. This lecture will introduce audience members to some amazing creatures that would make good space-faring candidates and will delve into some of the planetary objects that may have the right stuff to support life.

Moon Rocks & Meteorites

Touch real meteorites from space and learn how to tell the difference between a terrestrial rock and one of extraterrestrial origin. This hands-on program involves a presentation, a question and answer session, and an activity session which allows the audience to touch a variety of space rocks. When requested, a lunar sample disk, containing six samples of lunar material collected during the Apollo missions, can be provided and made available for inspection by visitors. Learn the role that space rocks have played in our understanding of the cosmos and touch a piece of cosmic history.

Parasomnia or Visitations: From Vampires to ET

Laura will take you on a journey through time when witches were hung and vampires were feared to our current day where we admire these same beings that were once demonized. She will illuminate how historic events and pop culture changed our perception of some beings and replaced them with other beings that we now believe are visiting us in the night. She will offer some potential explanations for our deep-seated fear of things that go bump in the night.

The Simple Truth: The Science Behind “End of the World” scenarios

December 21, 2012, was prophesized by many as a day of doom with children and adults fearing astronomical catastrophes such as the Sun exploding and destroying the Earth. While 2012 has come and gone without an apocalyptic ending, questions still remain regarding the potential threats associated with the “Doomsday” scenario. This lecture and accompanying booklet will serve to unravel and address the misconceptions and myths connected to doomsday scenarios by revealing the scientific evidence associated with “end of world” events. This lecture includes a PowerPoint slide presentation and is appropriate for K-Gray audiences.

NASA SPINOFFS: Bringing Space Down to Earth

For more than 40 years, the NASA Innovative Partnerships Program has facilitated the transfer of NASA technology to the private sector, benefiting global competition and the economy. The resulting commercialization has contributed to the development of commercial products and services in the fields of health and medicine, industry, consumer goods, transportation, public safety, computer technology, and environmental resources. This lecture will highlight some of the benefits of the technology transfer program that we experience in our everyday lives and offer insight into NASA’s commitment to benefiting humanity through the space program. A STRONG SPACE PROGRAM EQUALS A STRONG AMERICA!

SOHO, STEREO and SDO: Our Star the Sun

Get up close and personal with the Sun as seen through the eyes of SOHO, STEREO, and SDO. Learn about Sunspots and solar storms that wreak havoc on earth and the Not So Famous AMOS. View 3D images taken from our STEREO mission and conduct safe solar viewing with eclipse glasses. The lecture will conclude with a walk through rainbows courtesy of our nearest star.

What’s Your Sign?

This lecture explains why there are 13 zodiac constellations and helps participants understand the differences between astrology and astronomy. The earth’s precession, pseudoscience, Ophiuchus and your real birth sign will all be revealed in this informative and fun-filled discussion.

MARS Madness

Mars has captured the imaginations of humans for centuries. This lecture covers our robotic missions to Mars and what we have discovered so far about our cousin in space. Venture into the red planet onboard Curiosity and Opportunity and see the similarities, and differences, between Earth and Mars. Explore ancient beliefs about Mars and its inhabitants and join us as we search for life on our red neighbor.

Lunar Adventures: From Exploration to Mining the Moon

Learn about the origins of the moon and the missions that helped us to gain a broader understanding of our natural satellite. Investigate why other nations are racing to develop a lunar program to reach the moon by 2020 and deliberate the ethics of mining the moon for energy.

Pluto: “Hey Goofy…they think Pluto is a Dwarf.” Why Has Pluto Been Demoted?

My Very Educated Mother Just Said Uh No Pluto. Pluto’s demotion has been the subject of debates as well as jokes in many communities. Some individuals refuse to accept Pluto’s demotion from planet to dwarf planet. This lecture will illuminate the reasons why Pluto is no longer considered a planet and will also provide insight into Pluto’s strange behavior.

COSMIC PASSPORT: Cosmic Tours Travel Agency

Join me as I detail two of our most popular cosmic travel packages. You will be amazed at the diversity of vacation spots available in our own Solar System. From the geysers of Enceladus to the kissing lakes of Titan we will explore the wonders of our solar system and few interesting vacation spots beyond our solar system as well. Whether you like hiking, sailing, skiing, ice fishing, or mountain climbing Cosmic Tours has a package for you. Honeymoon packages also available.