If all goes as planned, an old RV will one day be taking area school kids on exciting journeys of discovery.
Trish Hanson couldn't be more excited if she were standing next to a new Ferrari, which she isn't.
“This is a 32-foot diesel pusher,” she smiled. “It is a Fleetwood Flair that we are going to retrofit into a mobile science and technology lab.”
The Fleetwood isn't exactly new. In fact, it's 21-years old. But it has low mileage, and the body and mechanics are fairly solid. Still, Hanson says it will take some doing to convert the RV into a science, technology, engineering and math classroom on wheels.
“We are going to launch an Indie-gogo campaign probably in mid or late June,” Hanson explained. “It’s a 45-day campaign so it’s really an opportunity for us to raise the funds to really gut it, get it retrofitted, have it environmentally painted with fun science facts and some awesome things.”
The money goal for the campaign?
“We’re looking at $70,000.”
Hanson and her MoLab partner Aimee Hills had their embryonic MoBus on display last night at DOMI Station where they held a fundraiser for the project. However, Hanson insisted donations don't all have to be in cash.
“We’re also interested in talking with anyone who has some expertise in maybe gutting a vehicle, an RV,” she said. “We’ve got some great universities and community college here. There might be some microscopes that are new to us but old to them that they’d like to donate.”
