In late July, 34 middle school and high school students from the Crookston area spent a week on the University of Minnesota Crookston (UMC) campus. The younger kids designed and 3D printed bubble wands, and built coded Lego robots, hovercrafts, and aquatic robots. The older ones created video games and learned about technology in agriculture and how solar panels help power the campus.

The students were participants in the Center for Rural Education in Science and Technology’s (CREST) 2023 robotics and technology camp. CREST was established in 2022 to make science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education more accessible to underserved, underrepresented schools, home-school groups, and others in the area. It provides professional development, classroom instruction, STEM competition support, and on-campus educational opportunities for students and educators.

Students learning and creating in the classroom.

In addition to hosting the robotics and technology camp, CREST runs a summer STEM camp and brings activities to county fairs. 

One of the challenges CREST has encountered is the need for equipment that students and educators can use to better understand agricultural-based STEM concepts.

“These items can be expensive and not feasible for each school district or home-school group to purchase,” says CREST and STEM Outreach Coordinator Amber Murry. “CREST plans to offer groups the opportunity to experience activities that more affluent communities have access to. This could be done either by bringing a mobile lab to their location or visiting the UMN Crookston campus.”

CREST is currently fundraising to purchase the equipment and infrastructure needed to make a mobile lab possible. You can help by making a donation.