Portland Public Schools unveiled its new “mobile makerspace” Wednesday. The ribbon cutting ceremony took place outside Rowe Elementary School.

WMTW Channel 13 covered the story. Watch the video here.

According to the district, the mobile lab will travel between schools, allowing students to explore, create and solve problems in the STEM fields. Every elementary school student will have at least one experience with the lab every year.

The district says that through the mobile lab, students can work together to make, learn, explore and share using high-tech to no-tech tools.

“We believe that these mobile makerspace experiences will be the spark that ignites a student’s further curiosity and engagement with all that science unlocked for them,” Portland Public Schools STEM Coordinator Brooke Teller said.

Andi Weisman Summers, director of FPPS, also spoke at the event. “The Mobile Makerspace offers a rigorous, high-interest way to engage young Portland students in the work of science and design. It will build a foundation of skills like problem-solving, innovation, persistence in working through challenges, collaboration, and many others that are critical for success in the adult world. The businesses and foundations who donated are not just providing opportunities for students, they are investing in their future employees and neighbors.”

Thank you to the partners and donors who have helped make this happen, including:

• Unum
• The Brick & Beam Society of the United Way of Southern Maine
• Greenbacker Capital
• The Lennox Foundation
• The Les Paul Foundation
• The Irving Foundation
• ReVision Energy
• University of Southern Maine
• St. Joseph’s College
• The Perloff Family Foundation
• Maine Space Grant Consortium