Trailblazer Sunsets but TAME’s Traveling Learning Will Return
As TAME reorients around our new strategic direction, the Trailblazer program will sunset
As TAME works to implement our new strategic plan, we are redoubling our focus on engineering education, as well as serving students who remain significantly underrepresented in engineering education and careers. After three years of pandemic-driven disruption to TAME’s programming, it’s more important than ever to direct TAME’s resources where they will have the greatest impact on the students of Texas.
With all of this in mind, TAME’s Board of Directors has made the difficult decision to end the Trailblazer traveling STEM museum, and the final visits took place in January 2023.
This was an incredibly difficult choice to make, as we recognize the value and enrichment that Trailblazer visits have brought to Texas communities for the last 21 years.
We know that traveling STEM learning opportunities are vital for student access, particularly in rural communities. That’s why TAME is committed to bringing back mobile engineering learning – but in a reimagined format that better reflects our updated strategic direction.
TAME is deeply grateful to all those that have supported the Trailblazer traveling STEM museum, including funding partners, as well as teachers and community members who coordinated and hosted visits for their students.
Remember, this is not “goodbye” just “see you later.”
Future mobile STEM learning through TAME will align with our new strategic direction. TAME is 100% committed to bringing back traveling engineering learning opportunities in a new format that will better reflect our updated strategic direction and the vital role that engineers play in addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges.
TAME’s new strategic plan calls on the organization to focus on three key priorities:
- Strengthen TAME curriculum and engineering program focus to provide a consistent, high-quality learning experience in all TAME Clubs
- Adapt TAME’s Chapter structure to support more effective programming and provide more resources and support for TAME Clubs
- Focus on community-driven evaluation to better assess the impact of TAME’s programs on student learning.
Adapting Trailblazer into a new and revamped mobile learning format gives TAME the opportunity to continue to meaningfully connect mobile learning to our focus on real-world engineering challenges. This will enable TAME to have a more lasting impact on students’ learning and better evaluate the impact of our mobile learning programming.
The planning for a revamped traveling engineering learning program will begin in 2024, and we will provide ongoing updates as this process moves forward.
Thank you for your partnership and understanding. If you have questions or concerns, please contact us at programs@tame.org.
