SparkTruck is an educational build-mobile! Our mission is to spread the fun of hands-on learning to kids all across the USA, empowering teachers and students to find their creative potential.
About Us
SparkTruck is an educational build-mobile! In the summers of 2012 and 2013, we drove across the country, spreading the fun of hands-on learning and encouraging kids to find their inner maker.
In 2014, we set out to tackle a new challenge: How might SparkTruck create a lasting impact in schools?
We are excited to begin working with educators to inspire, train and support them in designing and implementing design-based, maker-inspired, hands-on learning experiences for their students. We see the SparkTruck as a powerful tool to catalyze teachers around this way of teaching, and as a bridge between content experts, teachers and skilled makers.
The SparkTruck Story
Our project began as SparkLab, a group of Stanford students curious about making, education and technology. As part of a year-long thesis project, we talked with teachers, students, and other experts about hands-on learning. We were shocked to find that due to tight budgets and strict testing requirements, many schools don’t have the flexibility or equipment to support hands-on building.
So we decided to do something about it. We ran a Kickstarter campaign to raise some money for a truck and some high-tech maker equipment, like a laser cutter and some 3D printers. Our plan was to drive around some local Bay Area schools to run hands-on workshops with middle schoolers.
We were blown away by the support and encouragement we received from the community, so we decided to expand our vision. Reborn as SparkTruck, we decided to set out on a cross-country road trip, traveling across prairies and over mountaintops, through towns and cities far and wide, showing kids that they can prototype their way to something cool.
In the summer of 2012, we drove 15,323 miles across 33 different states, visited over 2,700 students in more than 70 different locations, and collected countless stories. Here is our blog from our 2012 trip.
When we returned to Stanford, we worked hard to find and train the next generation of Sparkees, and in the summer of 2013 they took the truck on its second cross-continental voyage, chronicling their adventures in this blog. We’re now working on making sure SparkTruck’s journey continues, and are excited for the road ahead.
