JUNE 6, 2023 – shift_ed revealed its newest tool to boldly accelerate student potential Tuesday, the Mobile Innovation Lab. 

After almost three years of planning and construction, this makerspace-on-wheels will take careers of the future straight to middle school students beginning this fall. In partnership with Forge Greensboro, a non-profit community Makerspace located in downtown Greensboro, the bus will be stocked with projects that allow students to get hands-on experience in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) careers.

The Mobile Innovation Lab is made possible thanks to a generous grant from Thomas Built Buses who saw the potential in this project and donated the vehicle in 2020. Carolina Thomas in Greensboro upfitted the bus to be used as a mobile classroom.

“Sharing the Mobile Innovation Lab with the community is a dream come true,” says shift_ed President and CEO Wendy Poteat. “For our students to envision themselves working in a career, they first need to see it and try it. With this tool, middle schoolers will get real-life experience with jobs they may not have known even existed.”

shift_ed and Forge Greensboro are partnering with D-UP again to bring a STEAM experience to students this summer. Starting in fall 2023, the Mobile Innovation Lab will roll up to Guilford County middle schools with a custom curriculum built to inspire future careers.

Forge Greensboro has designed an 8-week makers’ series of experiences that complement the North Carolina Standard Course of Study requirements for middle school students. shift_ed will coordinate the classes with GCS middle schools.

The Mobile Innovation Lab encourages students to explore entrepreneurship, hands-on learning and skill development.  By setting achievable goals, identifying students’ strengths and maximizing opportunities this tool will prepare young scholars for lifelong learning.

“We have a vision to transform communities through diverse educational and workplace pathways,” says Poteat. “The Mobile Innovation Lab is another way shift_ed is eliminating barriers to student success in the classroom and in life.”

About shift_ed

The mission of shift_ed  is to boldly accelerate student potential. With programs impacting elementary through high school shift_ed partners with GCS to provide thousands of hours of tutoring, aptitude assessments, college prep and financial aid workshops and career counseling to students. Thanks to generous community support, shift_ed has awarded more than $12.6 million to GCS graduates since 2016. Scholarship registration is open through July 1, 2023. shift_ed is dedicated to providing diverse educational and workforce pathways to GCS students. 

About Forge Greensboro

Forge Greensboro is a 501(c)3 nonprofit community makerspace. It is a place where hands-on people can gather to work on projects while sharing ideas, equipment, tools, and knowledge. Members of the Forge come from a diverse variety of backgrounds. Students, entrepreneurs, artisans, trade professionals, tinkerers, and hobbyists enjoy the space, community, and resources of Forge Greensboro.

shift_ed boldly accelerates student potential