If there’s one thing “Abbott Elementary” viewers know about main character Janine Teagues, it’s that she’ll do anything to make sure her students have access to the exciting learning experiences they deserve.
It’s only fitting, then, that ABC’s hit show has partnered with leading technology company MilliporeSigma to bring a mobile STEM lab to students across the country.
Meet the Curiosity Cube, a solar-powered shipping container turned mobile science lab. With promotional help from “Abbott,” this traveling classroom is raising awareness around STEM education and increasing access to high-quality, hands-on learning in some of the biggest cities in the country.
Leading up to the fourth season of the show — which premiers on October 9 — the Curiosity Cube is meeting students in spots like Boston, Houston, New York City, Washington D.C., and the show’s home city of Philadelphia.
“Working with Abbott Elementary, we are raising the visibility of STEM to inspire and empower students and teachers with ‘aha’ moments from hands-on learning experiences, which is critical to sparking interest in science,” said Tim M. Jaeger, chief strategy and transformation officer of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, the parent company of MilliporeSigma.
“We hope visiting the Curiosity Cube will spark students’ scientific curiosity with a fun experience that helps lead to a future career in STEM.”
This year, all Curiosity Cube visitors will explore the sustainability and lifecycle of a T-shirt through three interactive experiments. They will utilize tools like modular electronics, digital microscopes, and other scientific instruments, all led by local MilliporeSigma experts.
While the main takeaway for most students is that science can be fun and interesting, the facilitators behind the Curiosity Cube hope to inspire underrepresented populations in STEM — like young women and students of color — to truly consider a career in the field.
(Something Mr. Jacob Hill would likely be very enthusiastic about.)
“Science industry experts agree that these hands-on experiences are critical to sparking student interest in STEM careers,” a webpage for the Curiosity Cube explains.
“Our science education outreach programs are modeled on the principles of inclusion and equity… We model this behavior as diverse leaders, and volunteers work directly with students in their own communities.”
In fact, the Curiosity Cube has been meeting students where they are since 2017, reaching over 200,000 students, ages 8-13, in 14 countries.
“For 2024, the goal is to impact 45,000 students or more, prioritizing those in underserved and under-resourced communities,” the program’s website says. “In 2023, 95% of the schools that the Curiosity Cube visited identified as Title 1 schools, highlighting this commitment.”
The mobile lab just made a stop in Philadelphia earlier this week, engaging fourth graders at James Rhodes Elementary.
“It’s something we couldn’t afford,” principal Megan Wapner told ABC 6 Philadelphia. “We couldn’t do it without the support of this community and organizations like this.”
The students, who were eager to partake in the day’s experiments, left with some scientific souvenirs, like a pair of goggles, and a gardening kit, complete with a pot emblazoned with the “Abbott Elementary” logo.
Even at this one stop, it was clear that off-screen educators are as eager to reach their students as America’s beloved “Abbott” teachers, encouraging them to dream big.
“When visitors enter the Curiosity Cube, they are scientists for the day, participating in hands-on science experiments and learning about new technologies,” the program’s website says.
“We want to inspire young students by showing them that scientists all over the world, who look just like them, are working to create a better tomorrow.”
Header images courtesy of Disney and MilliporeSigma
