STAPLETON — A new classroom — run inside a refurbished box truck — with woodcutting tools, a 3-D printer, a sewing machine and more will head to city schools to give students hands-on workshops.
The Staten Island MakerSpace unveiled its new "STEAM Wagon" on Wednesday, which will be taken to schools across the city to give lessons in science, technology, engineering, art and math for students who can't make it to its Stapleton location.
"Not all schools have the ability to actually get here," said Scott Van Campen, co-founder of the MakerSpace. "This 'STEAM Wagon' actually gives us the opportunity to go directly to schools and deal with kids in their location and we’re really excited about it."
The wagon cost roughly $100,000 to outfit, with the help of various groups including Borough President James Oddo who allocated $25,000.
"Think about going to the schools, going to the kids, and taking all the knowledge in their heads and bringing it right to specific Staten Island schools and allowing kids to see it, feel it, and be a part of it," Oddo said. "I think future doctors and engineers in these classrooms, and in these mobile classrooms, will benefit from this."
The wagon will travel to schools and community events that reach out to them — the first one being in Brooklyn — with instructors who will demonstrate the equipment and then give kids a hands-on lesson, said DB Lampman, one of the co-founders of the MakerSpace.
The equipment inside will mainly run on solar and wind power gathered from generators on the roof. Aside from modern technology, the wagon also has manual tools such as typewriters inside for students.
Oddo said the wagon will not only help students pursue a career in technology, the hands-on aspect will help even the ones who don't plan on going to college.
"This classroom on wheels helps all students," he said. "The one who is going to take that college route and want to be engineers and the ones who don’t want to take that college route. The ones who are going to be up to their elbows and working with material."
