Baylor College of Medicine and Hess Toy Truck have introduced a new STEM curriculum guide, Ignite Learning. This is the ninth installment in their series aimed at inspiring students nationwide. The guide accompanies the 2024 Fire Truck with Car and Motorcycle, marking 60 years of Hess Holiday Toy Trucks.
The curriculum, created by Baylor's Center for Educational Outreach, consists of eight lessons targeting elementary and middle school students. It uses the toy as a tool to teach concepts like force and motion, fire science and safety, geometry, and more. These lessons emphasize the critical role firefighters play in protecting lives. The guide can be downloaded for free from the BioEd website.
Dr. Nancy Moreno from Baylor praised the initiative: “The Hess Toy Truck STEM collaboration is an exceptional initiative that brings the wonders of engineering, physical science and technology to life for students.” She highlighted its mission to inspire future innovators and STEM professionals.
In addition to the guide, Hess will distribute up to 1,000 free STEM kits to teachers. Each kit includes 12 Fire Trucks with Car and Motorcycle toys along with the STEM on Patrol curriculum guide. Teachers can apply for these kits through December 31st on www.HessToyTruck.com/STEM. Selected applicants will be notified in January with deliveries expected in February.
Justin Mayer of Hess Toy Truck expressed gratitude for their continued partnership with Baylor: “Hess is thankful for our ninth year of collaboration with Baylor College of Medicine in an effort to encourage young minds to explore the field of STEM education." He encouraged teachers across the nation to apply for these educational resources.
