LONGMONT, Colo. (CBS4) – In an effort to expose as many students as possible to the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) the St. Vrain Valley Schools district introduced the “Future-Ready Innovation Lab.” The bus, filled with the latest technologies, takes STEM resources from school to school, throughout the district.

“The mobile lab is definitely an experience,” said Andrew Deba, a freshman at Mead High School.

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In partnership with companies and non-profit organizations, St. Vrain Valley Schools was able to purchase the bus and fill it with STEM related technologies like virtual reality and drone software.

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“It is a lot more exciting than it sounds,” said Kirsten Davis, a freshman at Mead High School. “[The lab] kind of has a way to explain everything, and it is really exciting to learn about that.”

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Teachers from around the district are given the chance to request a visit from the lab. The lab can then be altered inside to tailor to the teaching lessons from each teacher and age group.

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“[The lab] gives you something that you can’t get from just reading books and watching something. You get something from actually being in the experience, rather than just seeing the experience,” Deba told CBS4’s Dillon Thomas.

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Colin Rickman, the district’s Mobile Lab Coordinator, said the best part of working every day in the innovation lab is seeing kids who didn’t previously have interest in STEM leave with a new passion.

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“Seeing a kid light up and figure something out, be engaged and inspired, is the best part of teaching,” Rickman said.

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For many companies and non-profits, the Innovation Lab was a way to help fund the future leaders and innovators of Colorado.

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“It’s really neat to see these tools come to use in the education process,” said Jason Oates, Director of External Affairs at Crestone Peak Resources. “[If students] come out interested in those areas, we are going to benefit as a company and as a society.”

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The district covers 411 square miles and more than 30,000 students.

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“[The Innovation Lab] creates a really cool environment for us to learn in both a hands-on and informational way,” Deba said.

Lincoln School of Science & Technology on Thursday marked the completion of their new primary and intermediate playgrounds with student thank you presentations and a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The playgrounds were made possible by a $300,000 Multigenerational Playground Grant by the Colorado Health Foundation.  The grant was awarded in June 2018 with installation recently completed. The Colorado Health Foundation’s vision is for each Coloradan to say: “We have all we need to live healthy lives.” Their mission is to improve the health of Coloradans and they believe that health is a basic human right. As the organization reports on its website, “We are singularly focused on helping Coloradans live their healthiest lives by advancing opportunities to pursue good health and achieve health equity, through grantmaking, policy and advocacy, strategic private investments, and convening to drive change.”

The Lincoln School of Science & Technology playground designs were a real team effort. Lincoln student leaders facilitated, organized and communicated important information with the entire student body throughout the design process. Students, staff and parents offered valuable input with multiple surveys to create two different playground themes.

The primary playground provides the only handicap accessible big toy in the county, as well as a toddler swing, a five-seat teeter-totter, a rope climber, pogo jumpers and tire swings.  The intermediate playground was designed by the students to be a two-lane obstacle course which includes a hanging wall, climbing walls, monkey bars, side by side zip lines and a bell tower to ring when finished. The intermediate playground also features new swings, bars, pogo jumpers and a rope climbing merry-go-round.

The final component of this energizing grant was a new, eye-catching LED school sign located on the front of the building.  This visually appealing school sign will be utilized to promote and welcome community playground use.  The playground is open to all community members outside official school hours.  “Please, come play!”

Additionally, the new LED sign will display important school information, upcoming events and student images from recently held school activities.

“We want to display the awesome student and staff experiences that occur inside these brick walls.  Unless you walk these hallways and classrooms, you miss out on all the exciting learning that occurs here,” states a media release from Lincol School officials. “You miss seeing the smiles on children’s faces, the friendships being made and the excellent teaching by masterful teachers. This new LED sign is one way we plan on bringing the inside, to the outside world.”

Lincoln School wishes to thank the Colorado Health Foundation, Brookside Concrete, McComb Lumber, Churchich Recreation, the Cañon City School District Maintenance and Grounds crew: Preston Loeber, Dan Owens, Chris Wolf and Cañon City School District administration: Director of Operations, Jeff Peterson; Business Director, Buddy Lambrecht; and Superintendent George Welsh.

This is the third Cañon City Schools playground funded by the Colorado Health Foundation.