Lasara Independent School District proudly recognizes the dedication and commitment of our school counselor, Karen McInnis, whose hard work and vision helped secure a Texas Mobile STEM Laboratory visit for our students during the 2025-2026 school year. This achievement reflects not only her initiative but also her strong belief in expanding opportunities that enrich student learning beyond the traditional classroom.
In partnership with Learning Undefeated, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) introduced the Texas Mobile STEM Laboratory program during the 2021-2022 school year. Each mobile lab is a custom-outfitted STEM learning space designed to provide engaging, hands-on educational experiences for both students and teachers. During the 88th Legislative Session, the program received additional funding, allowing the fleet to expand to nine mobile units. The full fleet officially began operation in the 2025-2026 school year.
The Texas Mobile STEM Laboratories offer a unique blend of career and skills education through flexible, in-classroom resources that empower teachers with new content ideas while simultaneously serving multiple classes. Onboard the mobile lab, kindergarten through eighth-grade students participate in hands-on engineering design challenges, working cooperatively to brainstorm, design, test, and refine solutions to real-world problems. These model STEM activities—developed by Learning Undefeated with support from TEA—are aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and emphasize collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking.
This program is offered at no cost to participating schools and provides valuable cross-curricular STEM experiences that introduce students to the engineering design process at an early age. Learning Undefeated supplies all materials needed for the challenges, allowing students to fully engage in exploration and problem-solving while teachers gain new instructional strategies they can carry back into their classrooms.
All Texas public schools serving kindergarten through eighth grade were eligible to apply for a free visit during the 2025-2026 school year. During the spring application window alone, 1,024 educators submitted applications. We are proud to share that Lasara ISD was selected, thanks to the timely effort and dedication of Ms. McInnis. She acted quickly because she recognized the lasting impact this opportunity could have in our students—sparking curiosity, building confidence, and opening doors to future STEM pathways.
Lasara ISD extends its sincere appreciation to Ms. Karen McInnis for her initiative, advocacy, and unwavering commitment to student success. Her efforts have brought an extraordinary learning experience to our campus and reaffirm our district’s mission to provide innovative, high-quality educational opportunities for every student.