STEM on Wheels

Dear donors,

We wanted to update you on the recent activities related to our "STEM on Wheels" project!  Although we were not able to bring the project to any schools this time, we have been actively working on spreading the word and garnering support:

• We are sharing updates about the project on our social media channels.
• Our newsletters regularly highlight the importance of "STEM on Wheels" and encouraged readers to support this initiative.
• We have reached out to potential donors abroad, expanding our network and looking for new opportunities to fund the project.
• Thanks to the Google Ads program for non-profits, we have a free online campaign to promote "STEM on Wheels," raising awareness among those who may not have heard about it before.

Despite the setbacks, we are continuing our efforts to ensure that our mobile STEM lab reaches as many children as possible. We are optimistic that with continued promotion and engagement, we will gather enough funds to send our van on the road again soon.

Thank you for your ongoing support, and we believe that together, we can make "STEM on Wheels" a reality for more schools soon.

All the best from Bioteka team,

Kristina, Jelena and Katarina

Links:

• Bioteka's news

To our Wonderful Donors,

Thanks to you, our STEM on Wheels project has started its journey! Recently, we traveled from Zagreb to Osnovna škola Sela, a primary school in a small village near Sisak, Croatia. Sela is home to just 886 residents and has faced significant challenges, including two major earthquakes in the past four years. These disasters have left many without proper housing, and reconstruction is still ongoing. The community is in desperate need of basic amenities, as well as uplifting experiences and positive news.

On June 17, 2024, at 7 am, our STEM mobile laboratory and our team, led by educator Katarina Horvat, arrived at the school. You might recognize Katarina as the smiling driver in our photos. After an hour of setting up our equipment, the schoolyard buzzed with excitement! Our van carried over 50 STEM units, including microscopes, robots, interactive measuring devices, telescopes, drones, environmental fieldwork tools, lab chemicals, health measuring tools, and more. The students didn't know where to look or what to try first!

Witnessing this joy and enthusiasm is a privilege and a heartwarming reminder of why we do what we do. These moments are filled with sheer happiness and a shared understanding among team members of the impact we're making.

Sixty-five students from the second, third, fourth, and sixth grades, aged 7 to 12, had an incredible STEM experience and didn't want to leave our site! For many, it was their first-time using magnifiers, microscopes, bug-catching nets, or navigating robots. The sight of children focused on using 3ml pipettes and test tubes is truly delightful. Although some were initially hesitant to touch the "unknown science stuff," we encouraged them with phrases like, "Of course, you can touch/rotate/turn that on," and "You can do it, try it!". Teachers from the school said that they would probably  never have had the opportunity to use all this equipment and explore such a diverse range of STEM topics if it weren't for this project.

Thanks to your support, Bioteka is confident that we have sparked curiosity and inspired future STEM experts!  Below are some heartfelt comments from the students that truly capture the impact of your contributions:

• "I didn't know I like STEM."
• "Can our school day look like this every day?"
• "This is so much fun!"
• "Can you be our teacher?"
• "I could do this all day, every day!"

Our mobile STEM lab brings science and technology to remote areas, igniting curiosity and STEM careers.

YOU made this happen!

We can’t thank you enough.

All the best from Bioteka team,

Jelena, Kristina and Katarina

Links:

• Find out more about our organisation!
• News

• A_word_from_Principal_OS_Sela.pdf (PDF)