Two THINK, MAKE, CREATE trailers are traveling around Lincoln and Omaha offering pop-up science classrooms for kids in Kindergarten through 8th grade.
Kent Day, Director of Youth Civic Engagement Programs for Civic Nebraska, says the mobile labs are aimed primarily at Title 1 schools because they are located in underserved neighborhoods.
Day says the trailers are made possible through a collaboration among Civic Nebraska, Beyond School Bells and Big Red Keno Science & Math Program.
Additionally, the program has received donations from a variety of companies and organizations within the community.
Day says there are two categories of things inside the trailer.
"One of them would be general kinds of supplies programs might not have on hand like electronic circuitry, batteries, those kinds of things, as well as craft activities like paper and craft sticks. The other category of things in the lab are kits that might include things like building rockets, K’NEX or Legos or things like that.”
Day says they recently received a Google grant to put virtual reality goggles and drones in the trailers so there has been a lot of community support.
He says the trailers can go to any program at any time. When the weather is nice, the classes are held outside under a 12x12 canopy that is stored inside the trailer.
On inclement days, activities are offered inside. Day says the best part of the program is no one has to worry about storage or having materials on hand.