Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Mobile Fab Lab Brings "STEAM Education on the Go"

  • By Yvonne Marquez
  • 09/24/19

Bucks County Intermediate Unit in Pennsylvania debuted a new mobile fab lab that brings “STEAM education on the go.”

The mobile fab lab is a van equipped with the latest in science technology that will prepare students for the workforce. The lab’s first stop is at Seylar Elementary School where it will stay for a week and then move on to other elementary and middle schools in all 13 county school districts for week-long residencies.

Bucks County Intermediate Unit in Pennsylvania debuted a new mobile fab lab that brings “STEAM education on the go.”

The equipment is unloaded and placed in a cafeteria or gym for students and teachers to use. A designated specialist is assigned to the van and tailors age-appropriate curricula for each school utilizing the equipment.

Students can look forward to working with:

  • Two 3-D printers;
  • A silhouette portrait fabricator;
  • A vinyl cutter;
  • A computer numerical controller router;
  • A laser cutter; and
  • Various robotics equipment.

“The Mobile Fab Lab will support innovative teaching and learning in schools throughout all of Bucks County,” Bucks County IU Executive Director Mark Hoffman told a local newspaper. “Having a van that can move between schools allows the districts to bring cutting-edge, modern equipment directly to the students and their teachers. This helps to ensure that Bucks County schools are preparing young people today for the jobs they’ll hold tomorrow.”

The van was purchased and equipped using a $412,000 PAsmart grant from the state’s Department of Education.

About the Author

Yvonne Marquez is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • A digital silhouette works at a computer, immersed in a glowing, interconnected world

    How Will AI Transform Learning Space Design?

    For years, higher education has designed learning spaces around technology as a tool for display, capture, collaboration, and connectivity. AI changes that equation.

  • Colorado School District Breaks Ground on Unified PK–12 Campus

    The Haxtun School District No. Re-2J in Haxtun, Colo., recently announced that ground has been broken on a renovation/addition project that will unite its two schools, Haxtun Elementary and Haxtun Jr/Sr High School, according to a news release.

  • Girl Sitting at Library Desk, Using Laptop

    How Campus Design Shapes the Finals Week Experience

    Academic performance is not just about preparation. It is closely tied to how students manage stress, maintain their energy, and shift between work and recovery modes. Much of that is influenced, directly or indirectly, by design.

  • Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing?

    Student housing success is shifting from operational performance to student experience, with belonging now at the center. A recent 2025 report underscores a growing emphasis on student well-being, community, and engagement, signaling that expectations now extend beyond logistics to ensure students feel supported in their living environments. AI is enabling that shift by reducing administrative workload and giving teams more time to focus on meaningful student engagement.