DE unveils mobile science lab

Delaware is looking to expose students to more learning opportunities involving the environment. Monday afternoon they unveiled a mobile science laboratory which is part of the Governor Markell’s  Children in Nature initiative.

North Laurel Elementary is the first stop in DNREC’s  ‘Science at Your Door’ tour, where they bring a mobile science laboratory that provides environmental education programs to Delaware students.

“This van is focused on helping students understand  their relationship with their environment and what role their actions take play in larger environmental processes,” says Jon Wickert from the Division of Parks.

Wickert says during the tour stops they bring a team of educators, scientific equipment, and set up environmental  related activities for students.

“We are exposing them to different strategies and techniques that  scientists would use,” says Wickert.

Daniel Sandoval,  a third grader,  tells 47 ABC he was taught how to collect a water sample.

“You had to grab that metal piece and then drop it  and that would be able to close it, and then you pull it up and see you captured a sample,” says Sandoval.

Wickert tells us the end goal of these activities is to show students how they impact the environment.

“To understand what they do at home, when they wash their car,  for instance what happens to all that water that runs off and how it gets into the local waterways, how does it impact plant and water life and how does it impact the overall well being of individuals in their community,” says Wickert.

DNREC officials tell us they are in the process of setting up future stops at more schools.