Students at Wayside Real Learning Academy are learning about flooding in a fun, unique, and quite messy way – by building their own solutions to a problem Central Texas has always had.
Learning Undefeated, a traveling STEM Lab funded by the Texas Education Agency, brings a hands-on experience to students across the State. So far this year, over 55,000 students have been able to learn inside the one-of-a-kind units. The current iteration with TEA launched in 2020.
Real World Problems
Flooding has always been a problem Central Texas has had to deal with, and now the students will learn not only what flooding is, but how they could use everyday materials to help mitigate the issue around their “home.”
“We want them thinking like engineers,” said Annamarie Carlo, an outreach coordinator with Learning Undefeated. “There’s no unlimited time or money, so they have to figure out what works best.”
Each group gets $100 to “buy” materials, forcing them to decide what’s worth the cost and what isn’t.
Hands On
Students are given gloves, a tray, and their home but must decide how much to purchase of humus, topsoil, and sand. After discussing with their group and brainstorming ideas on how to build their barrier, they are given 25 minutes to mix and build their barriers.
“Just like engineers in the real world, there is no unlimited time and money,” Carlo said. “So our students are tasked with constraints, one of them being time, and one of them being money.”
“It’s one thing to tell them they’re scientists,” said fourth-grade teacher Caitlin Bridges. “It’s another for them to actually do the work and solve a real-world problem.”
Water is then poured in, and the students watch to see if their barriers hold. While some hold strong, a few do see leaks. Either way, students cheer and are excited.
“I learned how to build a barrier,” one student said. “It wasn’t that hard.”
“I felt really excited and happy that our team got a win!”
Future Visits
While the 2025-2026 schedule is already booked, applications have opened for the 2026-2027 school year. According to the Learning Undefeated website, the application period closes at 4:59 p.m. May 29. Some of the eligibility criteria for a visit includes:
To apply, visit the Learning Undefeated website.
Read the Original Article Here
Live from SXSW EDU, leaders from Learning Undefeated, Caterpillar Foundation, and K–12 education came together to explore how game‑based learning can transform career exploration—especially in manufacturing and other high‑demand STEM fields. These experiences align with science and engineering practices while building durable skills like critical thinking, communication, and adaptability.
