{"id":23648,"date":"2023-03-13T14:38:15","date_gmt":"2023-03-13T14:38:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/?p=23648&post_type=story"},"modified":"2025-04-18T02:42:02","modified_gmt":"2025-04-18T02:42:02","slug":"steam-engine","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/steam-engine\/","title":{"rendered":"STEAM Engine"},"content":{"rendered":"

Aboard a typical city bus, you\u2019ll find\u00a0passengers en route to destinations\u00a0near and far. On this repurposed LYNX\u00a0city bus, you\u2019ll find kids discovering\u00a0the hands-on science of geospatial\u00a0technologies<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Since 2015, Citizen Science GIS, a\u00a0global research organization based at\u00a0UCF, has united scientists and society\u00a0through geographic information system\u00a0(GIS) technologies to better serve communities in need. Now, the\u00a0organization is connecting K-12 students\u00a0to science, technology, engineering, arts\u00a0and math (STEAM) beyond the classroom\u00a0through its GeoBus.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was so meaningful\u00a0was people seeing a vision,\u00a0believing in and supporting\u00a0us in it,\u201d says Tim Hawthorne,\u00a0a UCF associate professor\u00a0and founder of Citizen Science GIS\u00a0and the GeoBus. \u201cThey believed in it\u00a0because it was centered on the kids [and]\u00a0excitement of science.\u201d<\/p>\n

It began with Citizen Science GIS\u2019\u00a0Maps, Apps and Drones Tour, a makeshift\u00a0mobile science education program that\u00a0inspired over 10,000 Central Florida\u00a0youth from 2017 to 2021.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just kept thinking there\u2019s a bigger\u00a0and better way to do this,” Hawthorne says.<\/p>\n

After being named a 2022\u20132023 National Geographic Explorer and awarded a $30,000 grant from the National Geographic Society, Hawthorne set out to level the playing field in STEAM for young students \u2014 primarily focusing on schools in need with limited science and technology learning experiences.<\/p>\n

\"Headshot

Bringing the power of GIS education to communities was years \u2014 10 to be exact \u2014 in the making for Tim Hawthorne who first thought of creating the GeoBus as an assistant professor at Georgia State 海角直播. (Photo by Kadeem Stewart ’17)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Revving the Engine<\/h2>\n

GIS education<\/a> is traditionally taught in university settings, but Hawthorne is determined to help local schoolchildren learn about it sooner. With the global reliance on geospatial technology \u2014 such as GPS, drones and lidar \u2014 rapidly increasing, GeoBus aims to introduce children to the unlimited opportunities that lie within this in-demand field. The bus’ blueprint was created from scratch with contributions from several national and local partners.<\/p>\n

Top-Notch Transformation<\/h3>\n

In September 2018, Central Florida\u00a0bus service LYNX donated a 40-foot\u00a0retired vehicle to support the effort.\u00a0The bus service saved the team\u00a0thousands of dollars by removing\u00a055 of the 64 seats and covering\u00a0the cost of the GeoBus\u2019 exterior\u00a0wrap. The vibrant, kid-friendly\u00a0design is adorned with curious\u00a0young scientists, topographic\u00a0lines and well-known Orlando\u00a0and UCF landmarks like Kennedy\u00a0Space Center and FBC Mortgage\u00a0Stadium.<\/p>\n

With GIS\u00a0being a major tool in\u00a0supporting sustainability efforts,\u00a0an element of energy efficiency\u00a0was needed. Founder and CEO of\u00a015 lightyears Lisa Pearcy \u201904<\/strong>, a\u00a0UCF marketing<\/a> alumna, and her\u00a0crew constructed and installed an\u00a0intricate solar wall, plus 12 solar\u00a0panels that sit atop the bus roof,\u00a0at no cost. Although it\u2019s still a\u00a0diesel bus at heart, when parked\u00a0the interior lab of the bus can run\u00a0for eight or nine hours only on\u00a0solar energy.<\/p>\n

All Aboard<\/h2>\n

Through weekly 90-minute sessions,\u00a0K-12 students transform into youth\u00a0scientists aboard the bus. As they\u00a0look up, their eyes are met with\u00a0mapping graphics, similar to subway\u00a0station maps, that guide them along\u00a0the 10 hands-on indoor and outdoor\u00a0learning stations. From flying\u00a0drones over small maps and taking\u00a0simulated trips around the world\u00a0through virtual reality headsets, to\u00a0examining 3D model landscapes\u00a0and using block coding to navigate\u00a0robotic balls across a map, students\u00a0learn the power of geospatial\u00a0technologies from UCF students\u00a0and faculty.<\/p>\n

Drivers of Change<\/h2>\n

The GeoBus reached 2,500\u00a0students across Central Florida in\u00a02022, providing them with tools\u00a0to actively engage in science while\u00a0also encouraging them to initiate\u00a0change in their own schools.<\/p>\n

A sixth-grader was so inspired\u00a0by the GeoBus\u2019 augmented reality\u00a0sandbox station \u2014 which uses an\u00a0Xbox connect sensor and projector\u00a0to show the changes in elevation\u00a0within a kinetic sandbox \u2014 he\u00a0advocated to add a similar setup\u00a0to his school\u2019s STEM lab. The\u00a0hands-on learning component at\u00a0Viera Elementary School extends\u00a0the GeoBus\u2019 impact for current and\u00a0future students to explore.<\/p>\n

The Journey Continues<\/h3>\n

A big bus with big impact,\u00a0the GeoBus\u2019 high demand is\u00a0credited in part to a shift in\u00a0post-pandemic learning to\u00a0educational experiences outside\u00a0of the classroom.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a really big push\u00a0[to] bring [these experiences]\u00a0back and those outside voices\u00a0about science into the schools\u00a0again,\u201d Hawthorne says.<\/p>\n

Requests are pouring in\u00a0from Central Florida, areas\u00a0in Miami, the Florida Keys\u00a0and St. Augustine, which\u00a0means the GeoBus team must\u00a0expand to meet its demand.\u00a0Hawthorne is working on\u00a0securing a commercial driver\u2019s\u00a0license, stopping at nothing to\u00a0bridge science, technology and\u00a0communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been a long process,\u201d\u00a0Hawthorne says, \u201cbut we keep\u00a0coming back to the why: [getting]\u00a0kids excited about science.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\"A

Graduate sociology student Halley Spencer ’21 explains the sphero ball activity where students use block coding to move a ball across a map. (Photo by Kadeem Stewart ’17)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n
\"Three

Through comparing and contrasting 3D model landscapes, students gain a better understanding of elevation and various landform structures. (Photo by Kadeem Stewart ’17)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n
\"A

[The AR sandbox] is definitely students\u2019 most favorite [activity] on the bus,” Tim Hawthorne says. “It’s the most photographed one.” (Photo by Kadeem Stewart ’17)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n
\"Two

The virtual reality learning station whisks students away to different places around the world, giving them a 360-degree view while they learn about ocean systems, wildlife and more. (Photo by Kadeem Stewart \u201917)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n
\"A

Students are able to explore drone imagery from some of the Citizen Science GIS\u2019 fieldwork, and use dry-erase markers to add elements such as legends and scale bars to the maps. 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