By: The Caterpillar Foundation | Read it >
What’s the best way to introduce students to a career in manufacturing? In 2025, non-profit Learning Undefeated is showing students just how exciting the job could be by welcoming them inside the hands-on and interactive ‘Breakout Box’ experience.
One part escape room, one part experiential learning, the Breakout Box: Manufacturing Mission offers a whole new outlook on manufacturing careers. The Box provides students with a true understanding of what it’s like to work in STEM with a particular focus on the manufacturing industry.
The Breakout Box and its game-based Manufacturing Mission is part of a new program from Learning Undefeated– Manufacture Your Path–which was created with the support of the Caterpillar Foundation. The program is a result of a 2023 landscape analysis that helped the nonprofit identify gaps in K-12 manufacturing career education. As part of this process, Learning Undefeated convened a manufacturing industry focus group with 11 companies and two educator focus groups comprised of 59 Texas teachers, grades 6-12.
The research identified three key learnings/gaps:
- Very little manufacturing programming exists for middle and high school students;
- Most programs are single-intervention experiences with little engagement on real manufacturing topics;
- Middle and high school students have little to no access to career exploration activities before being asked to choose a career path in high school.
These takeaways led to the development and implementation of Manufacture Your Path, which equips students, teachers, and parents with knowledge and resources about high-demand careers and opportunities in their communities. The Breakout Box is a central component of the program.
Launched in January 2025, the Breakout Box is a mobile lab that began its travels to 30+ schools and community events in Texas including stops in Dallas, Seguin, Waco, Victoria, and Houston. Students in high school and middle school will compete and collaborate in immersive design and build challenges that develop STEM and manufacturing skills. Teachers who complete training with Learning Undefeated on the classroom activities will receive equipment and materials to do these activities in their own classrooms, year after year.
“After doing [the Breakout Box], it made me think more about manufacturing because at first it didn’t sound that fun. It gave me a bit of perspective” – Student participant
From students that complete the Breakout Box mission onboard lab, to teachers who receive a classroom activity kit that explores manufacturing topics, to community and family members who gain access to career portals and manufacturing events, an estimated 20,000 people will be positively impacted by the 3-year long Manufacture Your Path program.
Participating students have already shared the impact the experience has had, with 75% showing an increase in awareness of manufacturing careers after the mobile lab visit. Students cited a 64% increase in interest in manufacturing, with 63% noting an increase in exploring manufacturing careers. Learning Undefeated has been a pioneer in expanding STEM access and supporting future workforce development since 1991 through innovative mobile lab programs and hands-on educational experiences.
Starting with a focus on biomanufacturing in Maryland, the organization went on to launch its first traveling bioscience laboratory, eventually growing into a national nonprofit that now delivers award-winning STEM programs in all 50 states. With nearly two million students impacted, Learning Undefeated connects learners to high-tech career pathways, offers educator training and disaster recovery education, and is recognized as a leader in mobile STEM education nationwide.
