A mobile lab is a portable laboratory with tools and resources to bring hands-on learning experiences to different locations. In our context, a mobile lab refers to a physical set of equipment (specifically notebooks) transported to schools for in-person activities. It is not a remote-access laboratory or a mobile-phone-based platform, but rather a portable infrastructure that enables on-site practical workshops. Mobile labs improve access to education, providing educational technology to underserved or remote areas where permanent facilities are unavailable or under-resourced. Mobile labs are also a quick answer to temporary needs, such as in pop-up events, hackathons, or coding boot camps, where a permanent infrastructure might not be required but technology access is crucial.

Given today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, where the world is becoming more digital, mobile labs support a shift to digital learning. Students can be prepared for the future by being introduced to the latest technologies, tools, and digital practices early on. Mobile labs offer students hands-on experiences, being especially useful for teaching STEM subjects, for instance providing the tools needed for experiments, coding exercises, and even scientific simulations. Students are encouraged to explore new ways of solving problems using technology. Mobile labs can be customized to suit various educational needs. They are not limited to a single subject and can serve in multidisciplinary applications.

In this paper, we present a mobile lab developed by an Engineering institute to support practical learning activities in nearby schools. A team of professors and engineering students designed an initial workshop about programming with Scratch for children around ten years old. The workshop was submitted to a school as the first usage of the mobile lab. We analyzed the benefits of the mobile lab initiative according to the teachers’ feedback, considering its potential to positively contribute to educational practices, learning engagement, teachers’ development, and school visibility. We assessed how the kids perceived the workshop, focusing on whether they understood programming concepts, enjoyed seeing their projects come to life, felt motivated to continue learning about programming, and desired other opportunities with the mobile lab. We also explored the motivations driving engineering students to participate in the lab launch, including their desire to contribute to society, engage with the institution, and develop personal skills.

Our experience with the mobile lab has shown it to be a highly effective and easy-to-implement resource from a technological standpoint. However, developing meaningful activities for the lab remains a challenge. Motivated by our initial workshop's success, we hope to inspire others to establish new mobile labs to expand the reach of advanced learning opportunities. We plan to deliver this workshop to more children and to design new workshops that maximize the lab’s potential, we see mobile labs as a powerful tool for making education more available and reducing educational inequality. Additionally, we emphasize the crucial role of partnerships between universities and schools, which allow the development of practices tailored to school needs. These collaborations can also encourage teachers’ professional growth, enhancing their classroom activities and supporting overall improvements in educational outcomes.

Keywords: Education STEM, Mobile Laboratory, LabMC, Women in STEM2D.