TEMPLE, Texas – Temple Independent School District’s Kennedy-Powell hosted the Learning Undefeated Texas Mobile STEM Lab for three days this week, giving students a chance to participate in hands-on learning experiences.
The Texas Mobile STEM Lab provides engaging, immersive, hands-on STEM experiences for students and teachers. The program is in its fourth year and Kennedy-Powell Elementary was one of a select number of schools chosen to host the Mobile STEM Lab state-wide out of hundreds of schools that applied. Onboard, the Texas Mobile STEM Lab, students solved engineering design challenges and work cooperatively. Students from each grade level rotated through the lab over its three days on campus. Some students had an opportunity to build circuits to make “Wigglebots” move, light up, and create sound. Other students designed and built catapults to deliver care packages over canyons. The groups had to collaborate to design their projects, create a budget to “purchase” materials, and then build, test, and refine their circuits or catapults.
“It’s a really cool hands-on experience for our kids and we are really excited for them to have this opportunity,” said Catlain Melendez, STEM teacher and campus STEM coordinator at Kennedy-Powell Elementary School. “This is a great opportunity for them to be exposed to different STEM-related careers. They are going over different careers like mechanical engineering and electrical engineering, so this gets them involved in the world of STEM and helps them realize how fun it is.”
Two professional educators also travel with the lab to lead curriculum that integrates content knowledge and is fully aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Learning Undefeated partners with the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to provide the Texas Mobile STEM Lab experience to schools across the state.