DAYTON, Ohio — A very special STEM-equipped van has been making the rounds across Ohio for the past week.
This is an opportunity for students from kindergarten to high school to experience hands-on learning outside of the classroom.
For high school students Myla Stanley and Jaden Fritz, stepping into a mobile STEM-equipped digital fabrication/machining van will open a new door.
“I think this is really great. I think it gives more students the opportunity to learn about this,” Stanley said.
The van is equipped with unique technology such as 3D printers, laser cutters, laptops, and many other processing equipment.
The van is parked at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, where students learn how to use the design process to solve real-world STEM challenges.
“I think it's great to have this kind of hands-on experience,” Fritz said.
Lab Manager Mike Harris is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran.
“I worked on the MV-22 helicopter, vertical takeoff and landing, and the Osprey. So you want to talk about technology, engineering, and math,” Harris said with a smile.
These days, Harris drives a van to schools across the country.
“This is great because as an educator, you have a traditional teacher in the classroom every day and you have time to build rapport, and I have to do that right away,” he said. Sometimes he spends an hour with students, but within five minutes he has to connect with them and engage them. ”
Stanley and Fritz are both high school chief science officers (CSOs).
During this time in Dayton, 18 CSOs from 14 school districts in Montgomery and Greene counties participated.
“What we do is we have groups and we have projects that we work on. My project is creating posters to spread information about the environment,” Stanley said.
Learning in the van is like lighting a beacon of inspiration.
“I want to be an aerospace engineer,” Fritz said.
“I want to be an environmental engineer. I just love it because I want to be able to change the environment,” Stanley said.
