![]() ![]() The organization was just restarting in-person school visits in Maryland and D.C., where they are headquartered, when they heard from Spivey. “We’re building and reinforcing a student’s STEM identity,” said Pelletier, “their belief that they can be successful in a STEM job and that they can envision themselves as getting from here to there.”įor the past year, the Learning Undefeated team has been working remotely, creating at-home science experiments from their kitchens most of their mobile buses have been sitting idle. The organization’s programs, she said, are meant to create “positive, fun experiences that increase student confidence and also lead them to seek out additional activities and interactions with STEM subjects.” The hope is that students will see opportunities for themselves in STEM careers someday. Then there’s the explorer lab bus, which Spivey’s students experienced.Īboard each of the mobile labs are Learning Undefeated instructors, often along with other scientists and educators and interns from AmeriCorps, said Janeé Pelletier, Learning Undefeated’s vice president of communication and events. There’s the MXLab, a custom-built advanced mobile lab, also built inside a tractor-trailer, designed for high school students focusing on bioscience and chemistry. The Drop Anywhere labs, built inside small shipping containers, introduce students to various STEM fields. Its original MdBioLab is a state-of-the-art wet lab, where hazardous chemicals can be handled, housed inside of tractor-trailer that provides disaster recovery STEM education to schools impacted natural disasters. ![]() ![]() Learning Undefeated offers four different kinds of STEM labs. The program is run by Learning Undefeated, a nonprofit organization that brings immersive STEM experiences and resources to students to encourage student interest in STEM careers. The bus is one of a fleet of six mobile labs that deliver hands-on science lessons to rural and low-income communities. Learning Undefeated instructors taught students how to solve problems that real astronauts and engineers in the field would face on a space mission. “They’re learning, reminding themselves of the science concepts like what do you need to survive, like oxygen and water, and they talked about chemistry so it actually ties into all of the middle school science program.”Īboard the Explorer Lab, science teacher Kathryn Spivey’s students tooka 360-degree immersive trip across the entire solar system before “landing” on Mars. “It was more really about problem solving and using the strategies in the tech and science design process,” Spivey, the school’s science and technology content specialist, said. What happens if something goes wrong with their spacecraft? What happens if the batteries run out and they need to find another energy source before they freeze? Then, the students are given an individual tablet and get to work on designing a rover and completing activities that help them think like engineers. Students learn a little about each of the planets before they land on planet Mars. Along the way, they also learn to solve problems that astronauts could face on a journey into space. Inside, a long bench runs along one end of the bus’ gleaming white interior, with tablets stationed in the middle. The bus is also decked out with high-definition video and special effects panels, which take students on a five-minute, 360-degree immersive trip across the entire solar system. ![]()
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