Toyota and California State University Dominguez Hills Rolls out Four New Mobile Fabrication Laboratories

California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), is getting a fleet of four fabrication laboratories which are part of a global network of 900 mobile laboratories.

These new mobile labs will first be presented in the Los Angeles County. The donation of those labs includes middle school and high school students, through Science Activities and experiments in Fabrication laboratories. Students will soon be able to visit these labs which will help them build science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills.

The fab labs were developed by CSUDH together with the help of Toyota and the W.M. Keck Foundation and co-developed by Motivo Engineering. The fabrication laboratories project addresses various issues defined as “the heart of the STEM crisis”, for example, the need for qualified science and math teachers in K-12, the need for more women and minorities graduating with STEM degrees and pursuing careers in related fields of work and a lack of STEM experiences that engage and inspire students.

“Many of the schools the fab labs will visit do not have the space or resources to develop high technology-driven programs that teach digital fabrication, or the computational literacy skills that prepare youth for college or the global workplace,” said Willie J. Hagan, president of CSUDH. “Thanks to Toyota and the Keck Foundation, we are now much more equipped to transform engineering and mathematical concepts that are theoretical and physically put them in the hands of students to bring STEM to life.”

For instance, fab labs are equipped with technology and tools. This equipment includes 3D printers and scanners, laser cutters, modeling software and other tools to prototype projects. Labs will be pulled by the Toyota Tundra trucks and will travel throughout the South Bay and the greater Los Angeles region all in order to serve local schools, bringing the learning to students, communities and educators. The goal of the Fab labs project is to help students (especially in low-income, diverse areas) take theoretical approach and put them to practice through project-based learning.

“The fab labs are a significant tool in helping further STEM teaching and learning, which is critical to the future of California’s youth, and local and national industries seeking a larger pool of talented STEM graduates,” said Mike Goss, general manager, Toyota Social Innovation, who will speak on behalf of Toyota during the dedication. “Investing today in hands-on, creative, and exciting experiences for young people will pay dividends for local industries and America’s workforce now and in the future.”

The fab labs dedication also includes science, technology, engineering and mathematics-related activities for students coming from local middle schools and high schools, followed by an award ceremony for top science projects, overlooked by Toyota and local education leaders.

In addition to this, Toyota has also donated $4 million for the construction of the Toyota Center for Innovation in STEM Education within CSUDH’s new science and Innovation building.