Baylor, Hess to give away 1,000 toy truck STEM kits to teachers

Baylor College of Medicine and Hess Corp. are giving away 1,000 free Hess Toy Truck STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) kits for teachers to use in their classrooms. The kits include 12 of the 2020 Hess Ambulance and Rescue, a pair of first responder toy trucks that can be used with this year’s corresponding STEM curriculum guide.

The 2020 Hess Toy Truck curriculum guide “STEM to the Rescue” uses the Hess Ambulance and Rescue team as a learning tool to teach students the principles of STEM. This is Baylor’s fifth year collaborating with Hess to develop a free curriculum guide that corresponds with Hess’s featured toy truck. The company’s first toy truck was in 1964 and has been a holiday tradition since.

“This partnership shows how universities and corporations can work together and bring the various strengths that they have to provide learning opportunities for students,” said Dr. Nancy Moreno, chair of the Department of Education, Innovation and Technology and director of the Center for Educational Outreach at Baylor.  

Hess is accepting applications from teachers through Dec. 31. The kits will be delivered in February to chosen applicants.

Designed by Baylor’s Center for Educational Outreach, the curriculum guide is divided into seven lessons for elementary and middle school students. The activities apply emergency situations that first responders experience to teach various principles of math and science.

“The point of the activities is to apply STEM skills to real life situations,” said Dr. Gregory Vogt, the primary author of the curriculum guide. “Each of the guide’s activities includes a chart that lists specific STEM skills that are employed in the lesson.” 

The activities include using the Hess Ambulance to investigate the angles of inclined planes and learning about force and motion with the Hess Rescue truck. Students also learn how to choose the right gear for the rescue team, measure cargo capacity and handle other emergencies like floods or forest fires.

Vogt adds that the curriculum also introduces students to the medical professions and encourages them to learn about how health sciences universities like Baylor College of Medicine prepare future emergency medical professionals.

Teachers can apply for the free STEM kit on the Hess website. The 2020 Hess Ambulance and Rescue team is available for purchase and the curriculum guide is available for free download on the website: https://hesstoytruck.com/stem/