
NEWS
NEWS
The Center for Rural Education in Science and Technology (CREST) was established at the University of Minnesota Crookston in 2022 to allow surrounding underserved, underrepresented schools to afford equal opportunities in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Their focus is on enhancing, improving and impacting STEM accessibility in education, and they provide professional development, classroom instruction, STEM competition support and on-campus educational opportunities for students and educators.
In order to best serve the education needs in northwest Minnesota, one of the needs to address is equipment that students and educators can use to better understand agricultural based STEM concepts.
“These items can be expensive and not feasible for each school district or home-school group to purchase,” says CREST and STEM Outreach Coordinator Amber Murry. “CREST plans to offer groups the opportunity to experience activities that more affluent communities have access to. This could be done either by bringing a mobile lab to their location or visiting the UMN Crookston campus.”
CREST is currently fundraising to purchase the equipment and infrastructure needed to make a mobile lab possible. To make a donation to the Center for Rural Education in Science and Technology (CREST), visit https://makingagift.umn.edu/give/fund.html?id=24884#0.
Another need that CREST could address with a mobile lab is the lack of resources and logistics of school districts offering out-of-classroom educational experiences. Schools are having a hard time finding support personnel (e.g., substitute teachers, bus drivers) to provide opportunities for students to engage in educational activities outside of the classroom. With the mobile lab traveling to the school, it eliminates that barrier.
CREST’s summer schedule includes stops at the Mahnomen STEM Camp, Norman County Fair, Wadena County Fair, Mahnomen County Fair, Polk County Fair, Kittson County 4-H Camp, Pennington County Fair, Roseau County Fair, Marshall County Fair, Robotics & Technology Camp, Kittson County Fair, Rock County Fair, Warren-Alvarado-Oslo Summer Adventure Camp (July), Marshall County 4-H Camp, Warren-Alvarado-Oslo Summer Adventure Camp (August), Steven County Camp, and East Grand Forks Summer STEM Camp.
For more information about CREST, visit https://sites.google.com/crk.umn.edu/crest/ or contact Amber Murry via email at murry035@crk.umn.edu or call 218-281-8265.
Fund the minds of tomorrow.
Report a Disability Related Issue or Give Website Feedback
© 2023 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.