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From: Don DeRosa, Ed.D. | Boston University School of Medicine | CityLab/MobileLab Director

The Mobile Laboratory Coalition evolved from a small group of like-minded founders and early adopters who had a vision of a science outreach program that provided engaging and informative learning experiences in laboratory science for all students. The potential for mobile laboratories became apparent from the start, as demand from both teachers and students reached capacity in the first year. Soon after Boston University implemented a mobile laboratory program in 1998, the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill established a mobile laboratory program.

An informal alliance naturally emerged primarily because we had no one else but each other to guide our efforts in this new endeavor. We were learning on the job, sharing our successes and learning from our mistakes…it was the blind leading the blind. Sure, we attended and continue to subscribe to wonderful science education associations, but they simply did not meet our some of the unique needs associated with mobile laboratories. When we spoke about our mobile programs among the uninitiated, eyes glazed over and crowds thinned as we touted the size of our generators, discussed fleet insurance, commercial driver licenses, stabilizers and debated putting toilets on the bus (not a good idea by the way!). We questioned whether teachers should be required to attend workshops, how to manage scheduling, evaluation, and the logistics of teaching onboard the mobile labs. And of course we discussed and compared creative strategies to acquire funding and support!

Within the next few years Cure, MdBio, and the J. Craig Venter Institute added to our numbers creating a critical mass that grew into the Mobile Laboratory Coalition we have today. The point is that the mobile laboratory coalition evolved as a result of unique needs among people with a common vision of science education outreach aboard mobile laboratories. Mobile Laboratory programs are unique enough that they warrant a distinct organization for sharing ideas and insights among people with a common vision of science education outreach.

In an effort to maintain and preserve the original spirit of collegiality and collaboration among our members, we have been hesitant to formalize our little group. However, with interest and membership in our group increasing, we need to create a structure to best serve the needs of our growing community. Therefore we are offering organizational memberships at a few levels, which are detailed in the Spring 2010 newsletter.

I urge you to consider membership for your organization in the Mobile Laboratory Coalition. As a member, you will have access to some tangibles such as the quarterly newsletter, the working googleapps site, and discounts for members attending the annual conference. While these are valuable perks, the real value of membership in the Coalition may well be in the intangibles it offers:

• Remaining on the cutting edge of a relatively new and innovative science education outreach program
• Pioneering a novel model of science education outreach
• Sharing a common mission in a shared vision of science education
• Learning from each other’s mistakes and successes
• Realizing the potential to make significant contributions to laboratory-based science education for all students
• Maintaining a dialogue and supportive community for establishing and growing our mobile lab programs

I am sure my colleagues in the Coalition could add many valuable insights to this list, but why not join and speak with them yourselves?!