The Center for Academic Outreach and Engagement at Tarleton State University contracted with Erin to spearhead the content development for its new STEM Mobile Education Center. Erin oversaw the work of designers and a STEM education specialist to develop a concept for the 40-foot trailer that engages fifth through eighth graders in STEM subjects through real-life scenarios and hands-on problem solving. Students will make connections between the aerodynamics of birds’ wings and how wind turbines generate energy, and then try their hands at manipulating the turbine blades themselves. Nearby, they can discover how cardiologists diagnose heart defects and thread an actual catheter into a model heart, or use a handheld microscope to look beyond what the naked eye can see.
The team produced floorplans, elevation sketches, a budget, and a fundraising booklet that Tarleton staff will use to pursue funding for subsequent phases of the project, which is scheduled to be completed in 2017.
