The 4-H Mobile Classroom has traveled across the state this summer bringing STEM education to youth. Hear from Christy Millhouse, state 4-H STEM educator, about her experiences with the 4-H Mobile Classroom:
You may remember Where’s Waldo, where children were challenged to spot Waldo in many different crowded scenes wearing his iconic red and white striped shirt, bobble hat, and glasses. In the summer of 2024, it was the Ohio 4-H Mobile Classroom that may have been spotted traveling the state, sharing technology activities with youth and promoting 4-H at the same time.
The Mobile Classroom is designed to be used as a classroom or exploration area with a variety of activities to try. A partnership with Apple allows Ohio 4-H to have the tools needed to introduce youth to coding, digital art, and digital music using iPads, Sphero robots, and other fun technology. With a new look featuring the iconic 4-H clover and phrases describing the 4-H mission, the Mobile Classroom could be found at fairs, camps, and community events.
The newly designed bus made its debut at the Wood County Ag Day and then traveled to Mansfield for a multi-day stop. The bus also visited schools in Miami County where students practiced coding.
The bus stopped at two STEM Camps in Ottawa County where drones were the focus for one of the camps. Students were challenged to use the drones to assess
the damage done to a toy town by a “tornado.” They discussed the ways drones can be used and practiced flying the drones.
Cloverbuds at Camp Graham and Camp Clifton explored the technology stations on the bus and drew pictures on a sketch app of their favorite things at camp. 4-H project-age youth used the iPads to drive Sphero robots and tried their hands with apps like Garage Band, where they tried playing different instruments. Geauga and Trumbull 4-H campers at Camp Whitewood also had the opportunity to try different stations on the bus.
High school students in Shelby and Noble counties coded Sphero robots. Fair visits to Hamilton, Shelby, Muskingum, Vinton, Erie, Scioto, Columbiana, Lorain, Meigs, Hancock, and Franklin counties allowed fairgoers to explore technology and see the STEM projects 4-H offers. The Ohio 4-H Mobile Classroom also helped youth in Grove City and Piqua get excited at back-to-school events. Panerathon, an event in Youngstown, was another stop for the bus.
At beginning of September, the Mobile Classroom served as a station highlighting IT 
careers for over four hundred 8th grade students in Preble County. The Farm Science Review in mid- September is a staple on the bus schedule. Participants on the bus used iPads as magnifiers to look at seeds up close and tested soil moisture using a soil probe made with Microbits. STEAM on the Quad in Lima, West Fest on the OSU Columbus campus, as well as visits to schools in Delphos and Elyria and a Career Day in Butler County, will wind down the 2024 season.
Driving the Mobile Classroom is an adventure and sometimes a challenge. A crowbar, a wedge of wood, and a little Meigs County ingenuity got the door open at various times when it would not open with the turn of a key. A blown tire presented a challenge and our friends at OSU Transportation came to the
rescue by arranging a roadside repair.
Fair parents can always be counted on to jump in and help, whether it is pulling the bus out of the mud or helping maneuver out of tricky areas to get to an exit. It might take a village to raise a child, but it also takes our 4-H community to get the bus where it needs to go. Despite the challenges that occasionally arise when driving the bus, it is rewarding to bring STEM and technology to communities across Ohio.
What makes the bus trips impactful? It might be a dad sitting and drawing with his daughter and then taking a picture of her completed artwork, giving her praise and encouragement, or adults who share in the excitement of technology along with the youth. There might even be a few tears when kids are told it is time to leave the bus, but they don’t want to leave because they are still having fun. The almost 2,500 people who have visited the Mobile Classroom this summer often interact with technology they have never had the chance to try.
It may not have been Waldo’s red and white striped shirt, but the 4-H Mobile Classroom certainly caught people’s attention this summer. Adorned with the 4-H clover, the 4-H Mobile Classroom promoted STEM and Ohio 4-H, with those driving behind the bus being encouraged to not “miss the bus” and join 4-H today.