Mission
STE(A)M Truck is an Atlanta-based education nonprofit organization that immerses youth, educators, and community members in hands-on, high tech and low-tech STEAM experiences that unleash their creativity and enable them to design the lives and future communities of their dreams.
Vision
K-12 youth throughout the U.S. will have equitable access to relevant, transformative and inspiring learning experiences that open doors for future life opportunities.
We Do 2 Things Really Well
1. We give kids an opportunity to get their hands dirty and make things.
2. We empower teachers to continue this work once we drive away.
What We Do
STE(A)M Truck provides an innovative approach to learning by providing students with access to STEAM-based experiences in communities where they don’t often exist.
Through our mobile innovation labs youth gain access to the expertise, materials, and equipment needed to implement hands-on building, tinkering, and learning experiences for youth and work with their teachers to help them implement STEAM problem-based learning experiences.
Youth Programming
Our work is based on research indicating that a) memorable hands-on experiences predict interest in STEM, b) children in poverty tend to have fewer opportunities to engage in such experiences, and c) lack of informal education opportunities for children impacts future life opportunities.
Educator Support
STE(A)M Truck provides ongoing professional learning experiences and support during our Impact programs. We align our Builds with a today’s curriculum and ensure our work is relevant to the STEM standards taught in classrooms each day.
Community Engagement
STE(A)M Truck connects the community, with youth and their educators. Additionally, we use our mobile platform to "seed" maker hubs at schools, libraries, recreation centers and other public spaces.
Why We Do It
Access to hands-on building, tinkering, and the kinds of curriculum offered through STE(A)M Truck® can increase access to STEM careers and build the skills critical for long-term success in the real world. The problem is, the tools, expertise, and time needed to utilize these types of strategies are usually unavailable in public schools, and especially so in public schools serving low income communities.
Studies show four main critical areas of development necessary for success in the 21st century job market:
Collaboration and teamwork
Creativity and imagination
Critical thinking and
Problem solving.
Our programs provide access to materials, expertise, and curriculum so that we can reach students during the school day directly on their own campus.
