Students from Joey Rodriguez Junior High got a hands-on taste of the future Wednesday afternoon as they stepped aboard the Texas Mobile STEM Lab, a traveling classroom packed with tools, technology, and opportunities to explore science, engineering, and math in action.
The visit was part of a statewide ribbon cutting ceremony yesterday that marked the official launch of eight new mobile labs that will serve hundreds of schools across Texas. The ceremony included a countdown, brief remarks, and the cutting of the ribbon – symbolizing not just the start of a new chapter for the program, but a moment of possibility for the students who will benefit from it.
Eboni Holloman, an Arlington ISD Dean of Instruction, cut the celebratory ribbon in the parking lot at Rodriguez yesterday before eighth graders streamed inside the lab to explore aerospace engineering and work on their space capsule drop project.
“I thought the Mobile STEM Lab was such a gift for our students at Rodriguez,” Holloman said. “It gave them the chance to experience STEM in ways they may not have had access to before, and that kind of exposure can really change the trajectory of their futures. The activities were engaging and exciting, and you could see the students’ curiosity coming alive! My hope is that this sparks an eagerness in them to keep exploring what’s possible in STEM, asking questions and to see themselves in those fields one day.”
The Mobile STEM lab is on site at Rodriguez for three days and then will move on to another school.
The program, aligned with Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards, is designed to bring high-quality STEM learning directly to K–8 students, especially in districts where access to labs and equipment may be limited.
Since its launch in 2020, the Texas Mobile STEM Lab initiative has reached more than 33,000 students. With this expansion, the program will now visit 270 school districts across all 30 education service regions, offering hands-on learning at no cost to schools.
Learning Undefeated’s Lead Education Outreach Coordinator Oliver McSweeney detailed the importance of getting students engaged with hands-on learning.
“Our goal is to reach students from all walks of life and promote STEM,” McSweeney said. “Also, to show teachers that we can bring this type of education into our public classrooms, for everyone everywhere.”
Wednesday’s event underscored a firm commitment to making STEM education accessible, engaging, and relevant. And for the students who walked out of the lab with new ideas and new questions, the journey is just beginning.