STEAM Box: A Modular Open-Source Toolkit for Hands-On Earth Science Learning

                Declining student interest in science and the persistent gap between classroom content and real-world challenges remain key barriers to pursuing STE(A)M pathways, particularly in under-resourced or rural schools. To address this, we present the development and pilot implementation concept of a STEAM Box initiative within the STEAM-EXPERIENCE: Experiential Learning in Natural and Research Laboratories project, coordinated by the National Institute for Earth Physics (INCDFP) together with the University of Bucharest and Babeș-Bolyai University.

The STEAM Box is designed as a modular, portable, and scalable educational toolkit that transforms theoretical lessons into inquiry-based, hands-on activities aligned with Earth and environmental science topics. The approach is interdisciplinary and narrative-driven, inspired by the “four elements” (Earth, Air, Water, Fire), enabling students to explore natural hazards, climate extremes, pollution, and sustainability through experiments and digital data interpretation.

Each STEAM Box integrates low-cost but research-inspired instruments developed for repeated classroom use, including: a 3D-printed “slinky” seismometer for vibration and earthquake principles, a 3D-printed spectrometer [1] for investigating light sources and spectra, a compact Weather Station designed for long-term outdoor data transmission, and microcontroller-based experiment kits (ESP32) using temperature, humidity and pressure, accelerometer, and light intensity sensors, supported by a dedicated application for real-time visualization and data logging.

A core innovation of this initiative is that most STEAM Box components are developed in-house by the project team, including mechanical design, electronics, assembly workflows, and classroom-ready activities, supported by a digital fabrication laboratory enabling rapid prototyping and standardized production using accessible technologies (e.g., 3D printing and modular electronics). For instruments with validated open-source solutions, designs are adapted rather than reinvented; notably, the spectrometer module builds on the open-hardware design by B.J.Winters et al. [1], integrated and modified to match the STEAM Box architecture and educational objectives.

The STEAM Box devices have been deployed and tested at workshops, science fairs, and high school activities, providing feedback that supported design iterations and content refinement. To maximize accessibility and reproducibility, all designs, build instructions, and educational resources will be released as open-source materials via a standardized online hub, supporting adoption by teachers, schools, and outreach programmes.

Beyond hardware delivery, the programme includes teacher training materials and promotes co-design of experiments with students. A key innovation is the proposed shared library of STEAM Boxes, hosted by partner institutions and local collaborators (e.g., geoparks), allowing schools to borrow kits through a scheduling mechanism and reducing barriers to participation.

By combining STEAM Boxes, educator support, and a distributed access model, this initiative promotes inclusive experiential learning, strengthens collaboration between schools and research institutions, and builds pathways toward Earth science literacy and future engagement.

Keywords:  STEAM careers, STEAM education, Experiential learning, Earth science outreach, Open-source educational tools, Digital fabrication (makerspace)

Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research, through UEFISCDI, within the National Plan for Research, Development and Innovation (PNCDI IV), Science in Schools Programme, project no.PN-IV-P10-SS-SC-2024-0042 (STEAM-EXPERIENCE).

Bibliography: [1] B.J.Winters, N.Banfield, C.Dixon, A.Swensen, D.Holman, and B.Fillbrown, “3D-Printable and open-source modular smartphone visible spectrophotometer,” HardwareX, vol. 10, p. e00232, 2021.