Livingston Parish Schools to Roll Out STEAM Express To Serve as Mobile Classroom
Livingston Parish Schools to Roll Out STEAM Express To Serve as Mobile Classroom
LIVINGSTON, La. – Livingston Parish Public School officials on Oct. 10, at 8:30 a.m. at the Suma Professional Development Center will roll out a school bus that has been converted into a mobile classroom for the purpose of introducing students and our communities to learning opportunities in STEAM – science, technology, engineering, arts and math.
The converted bus, which has been decorated to take the appearance of a steam locomotive, will be equipped with Wi-Fi, touch screen monitors and laptops, and hands-on, interactive modules to help students learn a variety of subjects. The flexible design allows educators to easily transition the bus set up from elementary-level activities to high school-level projects.
“The idea behind this mobile classroom project is to bring STEAM-based education to the schools and into our neighborhoods to help students and to give them an experience with STEAM education that they might not otherwise have an opportunity to be exposed to,” Superintendent Rick Wentzel said. “The bus is adaptable to a variety of projects and all age groups.”
Assistant Superintendent Joe Murphy said STEAM Express sponsors and district principals will be among the first to take a tour of the new facility on Oct. 10 at the Suma Professional Development Center, located north of the Satsuma Exit at Interstate 12.
He said the STEAM Express will make its public debut on Thursday, Oct. 11, at the Livingston Parish Fair. The mobile classroom will be set up outside the fairgrounds’ exhibition hall from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 11, which is the day designated by fair organizers for parish schools and their various clubs and organizations to set up displays in the Exhibition Hall.
“We want our leadership to see this bus and work with our STEAM program coordinators to incorporate exciting new ways to bring greater learning opportunities to their students,” Murphy said.
The steam program coordinators are currently seeking opportunities to visit neighborhoods and community events. Schools will also have an opportunity to book the Steam Express to visit their campuses.
Murphy said the district will sponsor training workshops for volunteers and school personnel who want to work with students on the STEAM Express on Oct. 25-26. Two training sessions will be held both days – one from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and second from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Volunteers and retired teachers who are interested in the program can contact Instructional Technology Facilitators Nikki Lavergne (nikki.lavergne@lpsb.org) or Lynn Kennedy (lynn.kennedy@lpsb.org).
Murphy recognized community leaders and businesses who helped to pay for the re-purposing of the bus. “We could not have gotten this project up and running without the support of our community,” he said.
Sponsors include Assess the Need, the parish’s school supply program that is sponsored by Assessor Jeff Taylor; Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors – Livingston Council of Realtors; Entergy; Waste Management, Inc.; Swampland Leather Company; OnCourse Systems for Education; Stark Imagery Digital Design; Garry Lewis Properties; Parish President Layton Ricks; Sheriff Jason Ard; Gallagher Bassett Services; Erdey Insurance Agency; B&C Sheet Metal; and Cajun Graphics.