Whitaker on Wheels (WOW)
Bring STEAM Programming directly to you with the Whitaker on Wheels van, powered by UPMC Pinnacle Foundation!
Can’t make it to Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts? Allow Whitaker on Wheels to bring the science experience to you! We have a variety of options to choose from to fit your needs. From Educator-Led learning programs, to Drop-In STEAM activities, and even Make and Takes, Whitaker on Wheels offers a wide range of science topics accessible to all ages!
Scheduling
To schedule WOW programming for your preschool, daycare center, after school program, or elementary school, please complete the WOW Reservation Form below, but first, make sure to check our availability (subject to change)!
New: Drop-in STEAM
Are you hosting a PTA Night, Festival or Fair? Bring Whitaker on Wheels to your event for some STEAM-based fun! We have options for 5-minute drop-in activities or Make and Takes. Allow us to “W.O.W.” your guests with what a great time they’ll have dropping in!
| Drop-In STEAM Stations All Ages Whitaker brings a variety of activities that can be done in 5 min or less; for those who like to engage and explore. | Make and Takes -7 years and younger- These make and take activities are designed to be made and tested in 15 min or less | Make and Takes -8 years and older- These make and take activities are designed to be made and tested in 15 min or less |
|---|---|---|
| Physics Extravaganza Explore forces, motion, and simple machines | Physics Issac Newton was the first scientist to discover light is made up of all the colors. Let’s recreate his famous color disk to take home! | Physics Create a paperclip helicopter that really flies! |
| Engineering Challenges A builder’s dream! These build challenges will encourage critical thinking | Engineering Create a boat that will float in water, test it out and take it home! | Engineering Build a popsicle stick catapult that can launch marshmallows or mini pom-poms |
| All the -Ologies Paleontology, Archaeology, and Geology explorations | Biology Follow a lifecycle from caterpillar, to chrysalis and finally create a beautiful butterfly to take home | GeoScience Create sand art that represents the earth’s ages |
| Price: $400 for 3 hour block of time or less Need Additional time? $100 per hour after the 3 hour mark | Astronomy / Astro Physics Straw rockets and/or pipe cleaner constellations | Astronomy / Astro Physics Balloon Rockets and/or solar system keychains |
| Need More STEAM? Add on a Make and Take for an additional $50 + $5 material cost per estimated number of participants. | Price: $100 per hour + $5 material cost per estimated number of participants (Whitaker Center will only bring the amount of materials listed on your estimate) | Price: $100 per hour + $5 material cost per estimated number of participants (Whitaker Center will only bring the amount of materials listed on your estimate) |
Educator-Led Programing
Whitaker on Wheels offers hands-on learning experiences that brings science directly to you! These 45-60 minute programs provide educational and exciting opportunities for students to learn more about the world around them through a scientific lens. All of our program offerings follow either Next Generation Science Standards or the Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood. We offer a wide range of science topics and even have toddler aged add-ons for our youngest scientists. Let us “W.O.W” you!
| School Age Programs Grades 1 – 6 | Preschool Programs Preschool – Kindergarten | Toddler Programs Ages 2-3 |
|---|---|---|
| Human Body Connections The human body is an amazing thing, there are so many parts that have to work together. Let’s explore how our body systems are connected! Through testing and models we’ll gain a better understanding of how these connections work together to make our bodies work. | Dino Dig Calling all paleontologists! Let’s explore all things dinosaur. We’ll learn how paleontologists find, collect, and study dinosaur fossils through hands-on activities and creative projects. It’s a roaring good time! | Sensory Explorers Little scientists will use four of our five senses as we make observations with our eyes, ears, noses, and hands (no tasting please!) Experiment in sensory bins, explore novel materials, and strengthen the observation skills that are the foundation of all STEM disciplines. |
| Gravity Manipulators Nothing can withstand the law of gravity, or can it? Through the use of centripetal force, can we get objects to defy the laws of gravity? Or will everything come crashing down? These experiments and challenges will encourage young physicists to activate their critical thinking skills and foster a natural curiosity for the world around them. | Push and Pull Games Push and pull are the forces that make things go. We’ll explore these forces through flying, rolling, and moving toys. Our little scientists will make observations about the toys, experiment with their movement, and draw conclusions based on what they have seen. Let’s get moving together! | Jr Gravity Manipulators The foundation of any scientific discovery is noticing cause and effect, our littlest scientists will have the opportunity to make those observations with our explorations. Does Everything that goes up always come down? We will use music, movement and novel materials to observe gravitational force on objects. |
| Marvelous Matter Have you ever wondered why some objects are magnetic, while others aren’t? Or why combining some chemicals creates big reactions while others do nothing at all? Let’s explore some physical and chemical properties of matter and learn how truly marvelous the world around us is! | Fizz, Bubble, Wow What happens when you mix things together? Let’s find out through Chemistry! We’ll explore the science of color, bubbles and see what else fizzes up. These younger scientist friendly experiments will allow our little chemists to draw connections between art and science. | Pricing: $50 per 15 student sessionSession lasts 20-25 min |
| Mighty Engineers Are you a better engineer than the 3 Little Pigs? Can your home design hold up not only to the Big, Bad, Wolf, but to the Forces of Nature as Well? Find out by thinking like an architect engineer to make a mighty building that holds up to earthquakes, rain storms, and high winds. We’ll use the engineering design process and teamwork to keep our buildings standing in these tricky natural challenges. | Wacky Weather What will the weather be like today? Let’s explore the water cycle, seasons, wind and rain in this active weather introduction. Our young meteorologists will get to create a unique collaborative piece of art, as well as a mini windsock to take home! | Toddler Educator-Led WOWs are add-ons booked with a Preschool or School Aged Educator Led WOWs, they are not booked independently. |
| Pricing: $350 per 30 student sessionSession lasts 45-60 min | Pricing: $350 per 30 student sessionSession lasts 45-60 min |
Don’t see what you’re looking for?
Email education@whitakercenter.org for a personalized educator-led WOW experience.
Have a Question? Need More Information?
Email us at education@whitakercenter.org and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
Thank you to the UPMC Pinnacle Foundation for powering this amazing, mobile STEAM education tool!