Inside the Build: GO STEM’s Mobile Maker Lab
The GO STEM Mobile Maker Lab is a student-designed, off-grid classroom on wheels that brings hands-on STEM learning to communities across Eastern Oregon. Every feature of the trailer was built to solve a real design challenge, given to local high school students: how can GO STEM deliver free, high-quality STEM education across 38,000 square miles?
Inside the Build 2.0!
After our three-year Mobile Maker Lab pilot, the GO STEM team learned a great deal about what works in a mobile makerspace in our Eastern Oregon region and just as importantly, what does not. Those lessons shaped the next phase of the project: a full redesign and rebuild of the trailer interior so it could better support free Pre-K-20 STEM education across rural Eastern Oregon.
The task of building the 2.0 version was taken on by CTE students and their teacher at Cove High School. Their work began with trailer maintenance, including waterproofing and sealing, before moving into a complete renovation of the interior space.
Just like the original build, the 2.0 redesign was rooted in authentic problem-solving where the solutions were created by the students, for students and their communities to better utilize the space. Students were not simply making cosmetic updates; they were responding to the real demands of a mobile learning space that must travel, store materials efficiently, and create a comfortable environment for hands-on STEM learning.
The goal of the redesign was not only to improve function, but also to create a more welcoming, community-centered experience. The new interior was designed to feel more like an interactive STEM learning space or museum, where learners can explore, create, and engage with hands-on activities in a setting that invites curiosity and collaboration. The Cove students researched activities and components that would appeal to their peers across Eastern Oregon and worked with GO STEM to incorporate these elements into the new build.
This new version of the GO STEM Mobile Maker Lab reflects what we have learned through years of serving schools, communities, and youth across our Eastern Oregon region. It is a stronger, more functional, and more student-informed space built to support the next stage of the program’s growth.
Version 1.0 Information:
GO STEM originally shared our question with North Powder High School, and their students set to action. The interior layout of the Mobile Maker Lab was designed by a team of North Powder High School students in their Geometry in Construction class to transform an empty box trailer into a fully functional learning space. This build gave students authentic experience in measurement, design, and applied problem solving while they created a resource that now serves schools across the region. Today, this type of problem-solving action is at the heart of all of GO STEM’s labs.
Since its launch in March of 2023, the Mobile Maker Lab Effort has delivered more than 273 events and directly engaged more than 25,460 students and 8,800 educators and adult community members across Eastern Oregon. We have a full menu of lab options, with lesson plans hyperlinked on the GO STEM website for teachers to access and use. Click here to access these
Solar-Powered, Off-Grid System
On the roof of the trailer, six solar panels power the entire lab. Each panel is rated at 395 watts, giving the system 2,370 watts of peak production. The solar design was developed in collaboration with regional industry partners who specialize in agricultural and construction systems, modeling real-world engineering collaboration.
Inside the trailer, four high-capacity batteries store the solar energy. Each battery holds 5,120 watt-hours, for a total of roughly 20 kilowatt-hours of storage. A system screen at the front of the trailer lets staff and students monitor battery status, power flow, and system health in real time, turning the lab itself into a live energy and data dashboard.
Climate Control and Connectivity
Because the lab operates in all seasons and in remote locations, it is equipped with:
- HVAC system for heating and cooling the interior
- Protection for the batteries in winter to keep them from freezing
- Starlink satellite internet that provides Wi-Fi anywhere the trailer can be parked
These features ensure the lab stays comfortable and fully functional, even when it is far from traditional school facilities or wired internet.
EV Charging and Mobile Fleet
The exterior of the trailer includes an electric vehicle charging port. This allows the solar system to help charge GO STEM’s hybrid vehicle during site visits, giving students a direct look at how renewable energy can power transportation as well as classroom technology.
The Mobile Maker Lab travels with a branded van and hybrid vehicle, forming a complete mobile STEM fleet that visually showcases engineering, design, and sustainability wherever it goes.
A Moving Example of Applied STEM
Every part of the Mobile Maker Lab’s design, from the student-planned interior to the solar and battery system, is a working example of applied STEM. When the trailer arrives at a school or community event, students step into a space that was:
- Conceived and built by high school students
- Engineered to run off-grid using solar power
- Designed to model real-world solutions in energy, infrastructure, and transportation
