The STEM Shuttle kicked off its spring 2025 schedule a day earlier than planned, on Tuesday, March 18 at Edgar Elementary School.
Due to inclement weather predicted for March 19 (the originally-scheduled mission date), Lisa Witt, the principal of Edgar Elementary, agreed to moving the shuttle visit up a day and made the necessary arrangements to make it happen.
The next mission for the STEM Shuttle is slated for The Prairie School in Racine, April 22-23.
Shuttle Mission Guide: The number of students on board during each session will be limited to 12. There will be up to five sessions during the school day.
As has been our practice for the past 20 years, hand sanitizer will be administered to all entering the shuttle.
Our crews will take time between sessions to clean the hands-on work stations.
Upcoming STEM Shuttle Missions:
April 22-23 – The Prairie School, Racine
If you would like your school or event to be on the STEM Shuttle schedule for spring 2025, please contact us: stemshuttle@gmail.com, or text/call 715-845-6392.
Building Bridges
to the Future
Since 2006, the STEM Shuttle has traveled throughout Wisconsin, and at times neighboring states, to excite students in middle school and upper elementary grades to learn.
Hands-on learning and dedicated veteran teachers allow us to accomplish our mission.
Enjoy exploring this site, and we hope to visit your community soon.
If you are interested in bringing the STEM Shuttle to your school or event, please call or text 715-845-6392, or email stemshuttle@gmail.com.
Schools Give Shuttle Crew Great Grades!
“What a wonderful two days the Ithaca students had on the STEM Shuttle!! Each group had so much fun with the hands-on learning the shuttle brought.
A heartfelt thank you to the “crew” of Terry, Sue, and Sharon. They were WONDERFUL! The layout of the shuttle, the instructions for each station, the attention to each and every student was incredible.”
— From Kathleen, an elementary school principal, regarding a shuttle mission last year.
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This experience landed home with our students to help them better understand the “why” behind the core knowledge they are obtaining each day in class.
Our students left their shuttle mission with a great understanding of the science and daily principles guiding our daily actions (locally and globally).
In the end, understanding the why behind their curricular studies connects the classroom to their lives. It provides physical examples of how material presented in class does have application and importance to the world around them.
— Principal Corey Peterson, Melrose (WI) Elementary School
STEM Shuttle Kicks off Spring
at Edgar Elementary School
The first STEM Shuttle mission of the spring, to the Edgar, WI Elementary School, took place a day earlier than originally planned. Early weather forecasts from several online outlets hinted that the weather on Wednesday, March 19, would start as rain but change to snow showers later that day. By Sunday, March 16, some forecasters were calling for significant snow on the 19th.
On Monday, March 17, with several forecasters calling for up to eight inches of snow with 40 mile per hour wind gusts, mission control decided to scrub the Wednesday STEM Shuttle mission. The two options were to postpone the mission or move it up a day.
Lisa Witt, the principal of Edgar Elementary, agreed to moving the shuttle visit up a day, to Tuesday, March 18, and made the necessary arrangements to make it happen. By mid-afternoon on the 18th, as the shuttle mission to Edgar was winding down, winter weather warnings were issued for Wednesday, March 19. We extend our thanks to Lisa for making the shuttle visit to Edgar a success.
Sandy Smith and Sue Bushman were the teachers, and Dennis Cihlar was the shuttle pilot. For more pictures from the Edgar Elementary School mission, please click here.
STEM Shuttle on Display in Milwaukee
STEM Shuttle creator Sharon Ryan and shuttle pilot Dennis Cihlar were busy giving tours to several members of the education community during the 2025 Wisconsin State Education Convention at the Baird Center in Milwaukee on Wednesday, Jan. 22 and Thursday, Jan. 23.
For some, it was the first time seeing and touring the shuttle. For others, it was an opportunity to stop by and tell us about the STEM Shuttle’s visit to their school.
We were happy to hear more positive feedback, and to hear others promote the STEM Shuttle. More than a couple of administrators told those standing near the shuttle, “You must get this to come to your school.”
For more pictures from the Wisconsin State Education Convention, please click here.
Everybody Loves the STEM Shuttle
at Raymond Elementary School
The STEM Shuttle closed out the fall schedule by docking at the Raymond Elementary School on Tuesday, Nov. 5. The elementary school is part of the Raymond School District 14, located in Franksville, south of General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee.
As you will see by the pictures, the students were really engaged in the hands-on activities on board the mobile classroom. We look forward to a return visit to Raymond next school year.
Sharon Ryan and Sue Bushman were the teachers for this mission, and the shuttle pilot was Tom Rath, who also took these great pictures.
For more pictures from the Raymond Elementary School mission, please click here.
Unity Students Work Together
on STEM Shuttle Workstations
on STEM Shuttle Workstations
The STEM Shuttle docked at the Unity Elementary School in Balsam Lake on Monday, Oct. 28. If pictures tell the story, the students were totally engaged in the hands-on activities.
Sharon Ryan and Sue Bushman were the teachers, while Tom Rath was the shuttle pilot and photographer.
For more pictures from the Unity Elementary School mission, please click here.
Excited Viking Middle School
Students Complete Shuttle Stations
Following the conclusion of a successful three-day STEM Shuttle mission on Friday, Oct. 18, the crew is on its way home. The shuttle had docked at the Viking Middle School in the Baldwin-Woodville school district in western Wisconsin on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
The crew consisted of teachers Sue Bushman and Sharon Ryan, and the pilot, Terry Whitmore. Excellent pictures taken by the crew captured the excitement of the students being challenged by the hands-on work stations. Enjoy the photos.
This was the second multiple day shuttle mission in the past two weeks. Last week the crew taught students in Ithaca, Wauzeka, and Fennimore, all in the southwestern part of Wisconsin.
For more pictures from the Viking Middle School mission, please click here.
Strong showing for STEM Shuttle
at Viking Middle School in Woodville
at Viking Middle School in Woodville
For the second day of a three-day STEM Shuttle mission, the unique mobile classroom docked at the Viking Middle School in the Baldwin-Woodville school district on Thursday, Oct. 17. The shuttle and crew are taking part in the Wisconsin Science Week activities in the district.
One of the hands-on activities on the STEM Shuttle involves students learning the importance of exercising in space. Without earth’s gravity, failing to properly exercise in the weightless environment can lead to bone and muscle atrophy. Exercise is a critical part of maintaining healthy bones and muscles in space, just as it is on earth.
So the students on board the shuttle do a strength related activity. Enjoy the pictures from today’s activity.
For more pictures from day two at Viking Middle School, please click here.
STEM Shuttle Begins Three-Day
Mission to Viking Middle School
STEM Shuttle operations have ended for the day at the Viking Middle School in Woodville, WI on Wednesday, Oct. 16. Woodville is just east of Baldwin.
This was the first day of a three-day visit to Viking Middle School. The pictures from the crew show the students are enjoying the hands-on activities. Notice the reactions to having success in constructing the arch. It’s challenging to say the least.
The crew for the week are teachers Sharon Ryan and Sue Bushman. Terry Whitmore is the STEM Shuttle pilot. The shuttle visit is part of the Wisconsin Science Festival, and is being sponsored by the Baldwin Public Library.
For more pictures from the Viking Middle School mission, please click here.
For a list of other previous missions and photos, please visit our Schedule/Missions page.