A cutting-edge mobile environmental science lab is delivering hands-on learning to students across Alberta’s Livingstone Range School Division.
The all-season, 27-foot-long mobile lab runs on a 12-volt battery and solar system and is based at PEAKS Collegiate Campus in Crowsnest Pass. Built in 2023, it’s outfitted with the latest equipment, including microscopes, chest waders, spotting scopes, and water flow measurement software, allowing students to engage in authentic fieldwork year-round.
“Countless hours of planning and work went into this custom project so it could be comfortable and self-sufficient for students year-round, and we are excited to see the learning experiences that will take place within it,” announced Dr. Terry Kowalchuk, dean of Lethbridge College’s Centre for Technology, Environment and Design.
The partnership between Lethbridge College and the Livingstone Range School Division is funded by a $100,000 grant from the Alberta Education Dual Credit Enhancement Fund.
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In recent weeks, the mobile lab visited schools in Fort Macleod, Claresholm, Pincher Creek, Crowsnest Pass, and Nanton, reaching close to 400 high school and junior high students. It offers students the chance to earn dual credits in subjects like botany, zoology, physical geology, and ecology.
Johnathan Friesen, a lab technician at Lethbridge Polytechnic, was instrumental in constructing the lab, working with a local Lethbridge company to install steel cabinets and ensure the lab was fully operational and safe for students.
