MANATEE COUNTY – ELC’s Mobile Learning Lab is the first of its kind in Florida, Manatee County School district donated the school bus which underwent a $50,000 transformation to become a classroom on wheels.
Director of Community Educational Initiatives of the Early Learning Coalition, Rachel Spivey says their main goal is to prepare children for kindergarten
“Our mobile learning lab just gives children a wide range of opportunities that they may connect to and develop a love of learning,” said Director of Community Educational Initiatives of Early Learning Coalition, Rachel Spivey.
The Mobile Learning Lab will travel to local child care providers and offer Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics otherwise known as STEAM lessons, as well as other educational opportunities.
“We do lessons on nature, we feature water, we feature lights and shadows, we feature buildings and structures and our idea is to provide a motivating setting to help children really be enthusiastic and engaged with learning,” said Spivey.
As far as social distancing for the kids, CEO of the Early Learning Coalition says they are planning on having tents set up outside of the lab.
“And we have many of those, so we’re hoping that we can distance some since Florida is such a great climate we’ll hopefully be able to put them outside the bus or bring them inside so that they social distance according to whatever the CDC thinks is appropriate,” said CEO of Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County, Paul Scharff.
Superintendent of Manatee County School District, Cynthia Saunders says the partnership with The Early learning coalition is to ensure children are on track with their education.
“What can we do collectively so that we can ensure all of our students, especially our most needy students have the quality of education that they need on a daily basis and that our parents are able to go to work and do what they need to provide for their families,” said Superintendent of Manatee County School District, Cynthia Saunders.
The mobile lab will debut June 29th, for more information on the Early Learning Coalition, you can visit their website.
