One of The Rao Foundation’s initiatives, the Wonder Wagon is a STEM van donated to Lewisville ISD, a Texas school district in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, that makes it possible for schools in the district that do not have STEM programs in place to provide hands-on learning. This mobile classroom allows students to take part in these practical lessons in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), which are often overlooked by many school districts.
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Lewisville ISD teaches 4,000 students STEM out of a van
By Crystal Cooper
May 3, 2024 / 8:26 PM CDT / CBS Texas
LEWISVILLE — You can call her the real-life Wonder Woman. She’s a Lewisville ISD school teacher who teaches STEM out of a van to over 4,000 students, whom she calls her mini superheroes.
It’s called the Wonder Wagon, a STEM van operated by STEM Facilitator Lori Klimek, also known as Wonder Woman.
“I travel to schools… that don’t have STEM in their rotations,” Klimek said. “We do three experiences each year with kinder, second, and third graders.”
Klimek began dressing up as Wonder Woman to get students’ attention during COVID-19 when they were learning online.
“The capes are magical; you become a superhero, and we want our students to know that it’s safe to take risks, you can be fun and silly… because learning should be fun,” Klimek said.
Three years ago, the program took off after The Rao Foundation provided the district with a generous donation to purchase the STEM van. Now students are dressing as the superheroes of tomorrow.
“My favorite part is programming the robots and doing coding,” third-grade student Tyler said. “I feel like Captain America.”
This is the first year Klimek has visited 24 schools, contributing to the growth of 4,000 kindergarten, second and third-grade students’ engineering development.
“Before the Wonder Wagon showed up, our children were just using their iPads in the classroom, but since the Wonder Wagon has been here, we can actually provide hands-on building and coding,” teacher Shelby Hite said.
LISD has five STEM academies across its district. Studies have shown that students who are exposed to STEM at a young age can absorb and retain knowledge much more than at a later age.
“Kids are ahead of the curve on their problem-solving skills since engineering has been in their curriculum for the last several years… and it will carry them all the way through high school and college,” Klimek said.
The program is funded through community donations and engagement.
“We have had companies that have sent engineers,” Klimek said. “They talk with the children about how what they’re doing relates to their job field.”
The Wonder Wagon will be adding three more schools to its list next year, which will contribute to the educational development of more than 5,000 students.