Learning Undefeated, a national education nonprofit, recently announced it will build eight new mobile STEM laboratories in Texas after receiving a $7 million grant from the Texas Education Agency.
The overview
Texas schools will have access to nine regionally based mobile STEM labs beginning next year, two of which are expected to launch at the beginning of 2025 with the remainder opening for the 2025-26 school year.
Over the next two years, the TEA has awarded Learning Undefeated $2.9 million to build eight new labs in Texas along with additional funding to cover operational costs, totaling $7 million.
The mobile STEM labs allow K-8 students to explore engineering design. Students are assigned a problem and then tasked with designing, building, testing and improving a solution, said Janeé Pelletier, chief marketing officer for Learning Undefeated.
Some context
Learning Undefeated requested funding for the labs from state lawmakers during the 88th legislative session after receiving nearly 550 requests for visits from Texas teachers last year, Pelletier said.
The organization currently operates several mobile laboratories that visit schools across the country. Since 2020, Learning Undefeated has operated a Texas-based lab focused on schools in rural areas as well as a lab in Corpus Christi, Pelletier said.
The new mobile STEM labs will allow Learning Undefeated to expand its services in Texas from 30 schools to more than 250 schools per year, she said.
“We’ll be at a lot of new capacities for the schools and the teachers, which is terrific, because teachers work so hard,” Pelletier said. “The absolute last thing I want to do is tell a teacher we can’t visit them, so we're very, very excited to have this new program.”
How it works
Learning Undefeated’s mobile STEM labs operate out of a 600-square-foot trailer that can accommodate around 30 students. The labs visit schools for a couple days to provide STEM programming to several classes of students.
The activities are modeled after popular children’s books, such as fairy tales for younger students, Pelletier said. The projects also teach students financial literacy, as they must adhere to a fixed budget for their projects.
Learning Undefeated provides professional development for teachers so they may teach students the same lessons in their classrooms, Pelletier said. As a cross-disciplinary program, the mobile STEM labs can incorporate a variety of subjects, including math and reading, she said.
Why it matters
The mobile labs are intended to introduce students to STEM at a younger age and lead to future job opportunities, Pelletier said.
STEM-related jobs are booming in Texas with many opportunities in engineering, biotechnology, and oil and gas, she said.
“A big part of our mission is to let students know that there are these really cool, interesting jobs where they can make good money and support their family, and they don't have to leave the state,” Pelletier said.
Stay tuned
Teachers can sign up to be notified when a mobile STEM lab is available in their area.
Learning Undefeated will begin accepting requests for visits from its new labs beginning in April, Pelletier said.
The current mobile STEM lab is scheduled to visit the following schools next year:
- Feb. 17-21: Carolyn Bukhair Elementary in Richardson ISD
- March 31-April 4: Hutto Elementary School in Hutto ISD
- April 21-25: Campbell Elementary School in Austin ISD
- April 28-May 2: Cedar Creek Elementary in Bastrop ISD
- May 12-16: Candlewood Elementary in Judson ISD
