San Antonio ISD unveils the Voyager STEM Bus, a mobile lab bringing hands-on aerospace and tech experiences to students.
SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio ISD launched its new Voyager STEM Bus on Friday at Baskin Elementary, unveiling a state-of-the-art mobile lab designed to bring aerospace, advanced manufacturing and coding directly to classrooms across the district.
The Voyager Bus is a fully equipped activity bus built out by six St. Mary’s University engineering students as their senior design project during the 2024–2025 academic year. Outfitted with a flight simulator, 3D printers, a robotic arm, drones and virtual reality headsets, the bus is designed to immerse elementary and middle school students in hands-on experiences tied to future careers in science and technology.
“We had an opportunity to have the Stem Voyager bus here today. That’s in partnership with the RSD Foundation and Saint Mary’s University. We were really excited because our students were going to get an opportunity to do activities such as the flight simulator,” said Yvonne Martinez, principal at Baskin Elementary.
The launch event featured remarks from SAISD School Board President Alicia Sebastian, SAISD Foundation Executive Director Judy Geelhoed, St. Mary’s University Provost Jason Pierce, Ph.D., and recent engineering graduate GianLuca Porzio. Students at Baskin Elementary were the first to climb aboard the bus and test its interactive stations.
“They were going to get to use VR goggles, a 3D pen for 3D printing and also a robotic arm. So that was really neat for our kids. They were able to tie those activities to what they’re learning in math and science,” Martinez added.
For first-grader Den Martinez, the day was more than a lesson—it was an adventure.
“I was able to play around in the and fly a plane, basically. But I crashed,” the student laughed. “I feel like I want to, like print, make like 3D print things like, I don’t know, like, print sculptures, like modeled sculptures or 3D pens.”
The Voyager Bus is part of a larger push to position SAISD as a leader in STEM education. According to the SAISD Foundation, the project was made possible through the collaboration of community partners, educators and philanthropy. The Foundation invests about $4 million annually in students, teachers, and programs across the district.
Principal Martinez said initiatives like this are critical to giving her students access to opportunities they may not otherwise encounter.
“We are now a steam campus, so we have a focus on health sciences and leadership,” she said. “We’re so excited that the RSD Foundation and Saint Mary’s University were able to partner with us and bring this experience to our students.”
The bus will now travel to schools across the district, providing SAISD students with immersive, career-focused learning experiences that educators hope will inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.