Inspiring A NeXT Generation of

Leaders

Is our mission

Have you ever watched children’s reactions when they learn about space? Their eyes widen. They grin from ear to ear. Inspiration surges through their bodies. At that moment, dreams are born.

At the Aldrin Family Foundation, we seize that inspiration and nurture it over the years to create life-long learners destined to become our next generation of leaders, entrepreneurs and explorers.

AFF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization run by the family of Apollo 11 Astronaut Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, who founded the organization in the late 1990s. Our leadership excels in bringing together experts in space and education. Through these unions, we uniquely uncover what resources teachers and educators need to excite their students, meet curricula requirements and drive toward national standards. Then, we immerse ourselves in the classroom.

We collaborate with districts, schools and teachers to create and launch interdisciplinary educational tools, curricula, scholarships and programs that meet local, state and national standards requirements, inspire the next generation and set dreams into motion.

Our efforts fall into three priorities:

Space comes alive for children through our Giant Mars & Moon Map programs, one-of-a-kind educational tools that spark creativity in students while teaching STEAM concepts and exposing them to the amazing opportunities that lie ahead in this new world of space exploration.

Visit ShareSpace Education, our K-12 division.

We sponsor the Commercial Space Studies program, hosted by the International Space University-Center for Space Entrepreneurship (ISU-CSE) at Florida Tech. The only graduate-level certificate of its kind in the U.S., this space-focused program provides rigorous training in the fields of space finance, policy, management, technology, and entrepreneurship.

We support the Aldrin Space Institute, which hosts workshops, performs technical analyses, publishes research, and more toward advancing space exploration and development that will one day result in humans on Mars.

Our team
Andrew Aldrin

Andrew Aldrin

President

Dr. Andrew Aldrin is President of the Aldrin Family Foundation, as well as the Program Coordinator of the Masters of Space Operations at Embry Riddle, During Dr. Aldrin’s tenure with the Foundation he has overseen the extension of educational programs to over 300 elementary schools and universities.  
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Jan Aldrin

Jan Aldrin

Board Member

Jan Aldrin is an Account Executive at Bruce Hanifan Productions (BHP) in Ventura, California. Jan brings her passion for the arts and technology to the Aldrin Family Foundation, promoting STEAM to young people so that they are inspired to reach their full potential in these fields.   FULL BIO

Jeffrey Schuss

Jeffrey Schuss

Board Member

Jeff Schuss is an Aerospace Engineering Manager for Senior Aerospace SSP in Burbank, California. As a member of the Aldrin family, Jeff is committed to propagating scientific and technological awareness – and in turn, inspiring the next generation to be curious, question the status quo and seek something greater.  FULL BIO

Jim Christensen

Jim Christensen

Chief Innovation Officer

Career educator and administrator, Jim Christensen oversees K-12 education curriculum and programs, focusing on how to best utilize today’s technology to inspire the next generation of space explorers.   
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Kristina Otero

Kristina Otero

Director of Education and Development

Dr. Kristina Otero is the Director of Education and Development at the Aldrin Family Foundation.
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Lashaun Scott

Lashaun Scott

Logistics Coordinator & Bookkeeper

Lashaun Scott serves as the Logistics Coordinator and Bookkeeper for the Aldrin Family Foundation’s Map Bundle Program. FULL BIO

Mark Wagner

Mark Wagner

Director of Education Partnerships

Dr. Mark Wagner serves as the Director of Education Partnerships at the Aldrin Family Foundation, where he works with schools, districts and other institutions to provide programs that inspire the next generation to explore space. FULL BIO