River Bend Middle School is one of three schools in Loudoun County, Virginia, to receive a visit from Learning Undefeated’s Mobile Exploration Lab. The lab visits schools in hopes of getting students interested in careers in STEM fields.
Sitting in a large trailer in the parking lot of Riverbend Middle School, Adrian, a sixth-grader, and his classmates each removed jewelry from bags until only one remained.
After a few minutes, they used a piece of paper to guide them through an exercise in understanding what makes something intelligent.
A group of six students sitting around a table then typed instructions into a computer, telling the device how to recognize the difference between a cat and a dog.
For about an hour Wednesday afternoon, Adrian and his classmates discussed artificial intelligence. The school is one of three in Loudoun County, Virginia, visited by Learning Undefeated’s Mobile eXploration Lab.
With the help of a $50,000 grant sponsored by data center company Equinix and the Loudoun Education Foundation, the lab is visiting schools hoping to help get students interested in careers in STEM fields. .
“People look at artificial intelligence as, ‘Oh, it’s going to take over the world,’ but in reality, only humans[control]artificial intelligence,” Adrian told WTOP. .
The lab will be at Riverbend all week, and Principal Dave Shafer said different classes will be attending sessions at different times to ensure as many students as possible can participate in the activities.
Schaefer said the content varies by grade level, and some include coding exercises.
“You think about artificial intelligence, and kids know a little bit about it, but the different careers and different opportunities that they could have. It’s really important to be exposed to that,” he said. Ta.
Brian Gaines, CEO of Learning Undefeated, said the lab is a 53-foot-long, dual-expandable tractor-trailer. The interior totals 1,000 square feet, with lab equipment, tables, and large screens spread out to the sides.
Gaines described the interior as “what you would expect if a science lab meets an Apple Store.”
“It’s all about getting students and the community interested in STEM careers and the high-paying, living-wage, current jobs available, and introducing them to those careers early on,” Gaines said. spoke.
He said the mobile lab allows groups to conduct biology, chemistry and engineering activities, with the aim of exposing them to the complexities of science, technology, engineering and mathematics work.
But for middle school students, Gaines said, the focus may be on what courses they can take to get closer to their career goals.
“We focus on the careers and skill sets that employers are looking for,” Gaines said. “So it might be about problem solving, teamwork, building confidence in what you’re doing, having good communication skills, and working as a team.”
The mobile lab is scheduled to stop at Sterling Middle School and one additional Loudoun County campus at the end of this school year.
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