The Prime Minister of Aruba
Aruba Prime Minister Gives Update on Mo-B Innovation Lab
Oranjestad, Aruba — June 14, 2019 – Today, Aruba Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes reported that so far about 6,000 people including students, parents, teacher, and administrators, have participated in the Mobile Tech Lab (Mo-B Lab) program or experienced the Lab. During the next few months, she says that the Mo-B Lab will be participating in several summer camps on the island.
The Mo-B Lab was launched in October 2018 as a new method for youth to learn about science and technology. The Mo-B Lab is an innovation education initiative in collaboration with the Government of Aruba’s innovation lab Futura, Metabolic Foundation (known as B Lab), and the National Library of Aruba with support from the Ministry of Education, Science and Sustainability.
The Prime Minister said, “Young students here in Aruba have an opportunity to visit the Lab and learn how fun and satisfying it can be to prototype, develop, explore, learn and experiment with science and technology.” She added, “Mo-B Lab aims to also engage the future generation of teachers who are invited to conduct research and explore non-conventional ways of teaching.”
Ultimately, the Prime Minister says the objective of this low-risk opportunity for experimentation is to 1. Lay a foundation for diversifying Aruba’s economy by getting more kids interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), and 2. Prepare students with skills for the 21stCentury that can spill over into schools wherever there is interest and buy-in from teachers and students.
As part of the Mo-B Lab project, an existing unused trailer was transformed into a fully sustainable Mobile ‘Makerspace’ powered by solar panels. It isfilled with equipment and tools conducive to shared learning, self-directed exploration, and bringing ideas to life. Some of the equipment that visitors will be able to use include:
- 3D Printers: 3D thinking and prototyping to design custom, simple, and complex objects.
- Computer Controlled Cutters: Lasers, cutters, and robotic pens to bring drawings and designs to life.
- Circuit Scribe: Conductive ink to create hand-drawn circuits.
- Little Bits: Magnetically connected electronic building blocks to create robots and more.
- Makey Makey: Circuits and programming to plug in any object containing metal or moisture and turn it into a button to control basically anything.
- Arduino: Electronic programming platform to create objects and prototype products.
Over the course of the 2018-2019 school year, Mo-B visited over 16 schools and afterschool programs. The pilot program engaged more than the initially projected amount of students with its and interactively designed 2-week programs.
When school begins in the fall, the Mo-B Lab will continue to be available for afterschool programs. Therefore, Prime Minister Wever-Croes invites all Aruba youth to take time to explore innovation opportunities at the Mo-B Lab.
