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Boeing and The Pan American Development Fund Back Kids’ STEM Education with Lab4U Partnership

Lab4U could not be more excited to announce a new partnership with The Boeing Company and The Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) in support of science teachers and students in Querétaro, Mexico. Together, the companies will be providing free lab technology, materials, and support across three schools for the 2021-2022 school year.

“STEM education is critical for equipping students with the skills they need to thrive in the 21st century (…) However, in Latin America, up to 88% of schools don’t have science labs, and in those that do, much of the equipment is out of date. It puts those students at a disadvantage from an early age and leaves them uninspired.”

Komal Dadlani, CEO of Lab4U.

Dadlani co-founded Lab4U to help close that gap. The socially-conscious company increases access to quality science education by developing affordable new technologies and teaching methodologies that students can access from anywhere, thanks to their smartphones. Using Lab4U’s app and accessories, a cell phone becomes a pocket laboratory, allowing kids to complete a wide range of science labs in real time.

Lab4U and PADF teachers experimenting with Lab4Chemistry

The Boeing-Lab4U-PADF alliance will provide three Querétaro-based schools with unlimited access to Lab4U’s chemistry and physics applications, plus additional materials, training, and monitoring for science teachers and students in Upper Secondary Education. All tools will support CONALEP and COBAQ curricula; most importantly, they will promote meaningful learning and an increased interest in STEM subjects.

The effort comes at a particularly important time as schools navigate the ongoing shift between in-class and remote learning. Thanks to their portability, Lab4U’s phone-based products allow teachers to create an effective learning experience for their students both in school and at home. As a result, teachers can leverage real-world experiments to help their students to better understand their environment during this particularly challenging time.

Boeing chose Querétaro for the project’s launch, because the state is one of its largest producers of aircraft parts.

“STEM education prepares students to face the challenges of the future. At PADF Mexico, we are very happy to have the STEM Americas program in Querétaro, as it will help stimulate curiosity and an interest in scientific knowledge for the good of our country. Future graduates of the program will enjoy better work opportunities, and it’s an opportunity, also, for Mexico to promote workforce training that engages people with the economy and is rooted in human development and dignity.”

Valeria Uribe, Director of PADF Mexico.

To bolster these skills, Lab4U will be partnering with Boeing to design aerospace-related experiments to inspire students to pursue STEM-related careers. At Lab4U we are happy to join forces with an organization that cares about Education and has been working on it for a long time. For more information on other Education related topics from Boeing, check out the following link: Boeing Educational Resources. 

This year with PADF and Boeing, Lab4U is working in the Querétaro-area schools which are currently invited to apply for the STEM program; three teachers will be chosen to receive the program that includes Lab4U’s implementation and support. The project is also a part of the STEM Americas program, which encourages math and science education across Latin America through strategic partnerships between schools and the private sector. For more information on Boeing’s growth in Mexico, visit here. For more information on PADF, visit here. For more information on Lab4U’s novel approach to science education, visit lab4u.co.

Lab4U Scholarship: Bringing science closer to students in high-need communities in times of COVID-19

The impact of the pandemic on schools and learning communities around the world has been incredibly challenging and demanding.

lab4u-experiment
Experimentation

The COVID-19 health crisis has affected everyone, and educators are no exception. Indeed, the impact of the pandemic on schools and learning communities around the world has been incredibly challenging. Demanding that teachers, administrators, families, and students themselves radically change the way they’re teaching and learning in a short period of time.

While this transition hasn’t been easy for anyone. It’s been especially challenging for students in public schools in low-income communities, which may not have the infrastructure or the resources to adapt to this “new normal”.

Science, experimentation, and inquiry

Lab4U has always sought to bring science, experimentation, and inquiry closer to learning communities all over the world. At this time, we’re especially concerned with the experience of students and teachers in public schools. We’re looking for ways to support them with resources to ensure quality distance learning experiences.

  • How can we ensure that all students, have the resources and tools they need for a quality science education?
  • Who can we work with to multiply our impact in STEM education?

Beca Lab4U program: meaningful and lasting impact

lab4u-app
Lab on your pocket

In the spirit of generating meaningful and lasting impact in schools and communities in need of support, at the end of May we launched the “Beca Lab4U” (Lab4U Scholarship) program, supported by CEMEX and the US Embassy in Mexico.

During this program, we were able to offer Lab4Physics Premium for free to a group of teachers and their students in public schools all over Mexico, giving thousands of students access to a lab in their pocket and the chance to learn science through experimentation from their own homes.

After receiving close to 200 applications to the “Beca Lab4U” program and evaluating the interest and motivation of each applicant, we selected a group of 39 physics teachers to participate in this unique program.

The teachers, who come from 7 different states all over Mexico, represent a tremendous diversity of contexts and experiences. But they’re unified by their concern for developing significant STEM knowledge and skills among their students, and an interest in innovating in science education.

Stundents worked with Lab4Physics from home!

After online training, we created users for more than 1,500 students who were able to access Lab4Physics for the last month of the 2019-20 school year. Indeed, they worked with Lab4Physics from home, using only basic material most students can find at home.

Those that are able to have also been able to participate in synchronous classes with their classmates. And others who may not have internet or computer access have participted in WhatsApp and Messenger conversations with their classmates where they share their analysis and what they’ve discovered as they experiment from home.

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Online Training

We hope the learning that comes out of this project have a lasting benefit for participating students. And they also keep learning and being inspired by science throughout their lives.

Are you interested in supporting science education in a high-need school?

There are thousands more students and teachers across Mexico, who are looking to contribute to education initiatives like these. When students and teachers need it most!

Finally, contact us today to learn more!

[email protected]