DAYTON, Ohio — For the past week a very special STEM-on-the-go van has been making its way around the state of Ohio.

It’s a chance for students from kindergarten to high school to get hands-on learning in a setting outside of the classroom.

What You Need To Know

  • STEM-on-the-go van travels across Ohio and stops in Dayton

  • High school student Chief Science Officers spend the day with the van at Sinclair Community College

  • The mobile classroom has new technology like a 3D printer, laser cutter, laptops and machining equipment

For high school students Myla Stanley and Jaden Fritz, stepping onto the STEM-on-the-go Mobile Digital Fabrication/Machining Van is opening new doors.

“I think it’s really cool," Stanley said. "I think it will give a lot more students an opportunity to learn about this stuff."

The van is outfitted with unique technology like a 3D printer, laser cutter, laptops and a lot of other machining equipment.

The van is parked at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, and students learn how to solve real-world STEM challenges by using the design process.

“I think it’s pretty cool being able to get hands-on experience like this,” Fritz said.

Lab manager Mike Harris is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran.

“I worked on the MV-22 helicopter, vertical take-off and landing, the Osprey. So you want to talk about technology, engineering, mathematics,” Harris said, with a smile.

These days Harris drives the van to schools across the country.

“It’s amazing," he said. "I love it because every day, as an educator, a traditional teacher is in a classroom, and they have time to build rapport, and I have to do that like immediately. Sometimes I have one hour with students, and within five minutes I have to connect with them and engage them."

Both Stanley and Fritz are Chief Science Officers, or CSOs, at their high schools.

During this stop in Dayton, 18 CSOs from 14 school districts from Montgomery and Greene counties participated.

“What we do is, we have groups, and we have a project that we’re doing and in my project, we’re making posters to spread information about the environment,” Stanley said.

Learning on the van is like turning on a light of inspiration.

“I want to be an aerospace engineer,” Fritz said.

“I want to be an environmental engineer," Stanley said. "I just like it because I want to be able to make a difference."