ABOUT

Angelo State University (ASU) partnered with Dallas-based technology agency Groove Jones to create the STEM Heroes Interactive Touchscreen Career Experience. Built specifically for ASU’s Mobile STEM Innovation Lab, the project aims to inspire middle and high school students across West Texas to pursue degrees and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

1. Concept

The overarching mission was to make STEM career paths relatable, accessible, and grounded in regional impact. Rather than presenting abstract academic tracks or dense job statistics, the experience re-imagines STEM professionals as local "heroes" who use technical skills to solve urgent, real-world problems facing West Texas communities.

Target Audience: Middle school and high school students in rural and urban West Texas.

Core Philosophy: Position technical grit—such as water analysis, agricultural land management, or cybersecurity—as a superpower used to protect neighbors and improve local life.

2. Execution
The experience combines interactive storytelling, digital comic books, and actionable career data into a seamless touchscreen interface.

Display Setup: Delivered via large-format 65-inch touchscreens inside ASU's Mobile STEM Innovation Lab trailer, designed for immediate walk-up engagement.

Character Roster: Students select from 8 distinct STEM Heroes, covering fields like biology, agriculture, computer science, and engineering (e.g., Diego the Biologist, Sofi the Rancher, Ana the Structural Engineer, Jordan the Cybersecurity Expert).

Animated Comic Format:
1. Narrative Arc: Choosing a character launches a dynamic comic book story detailing a specific challenge—for example, Diego tracing toxic cyanobacteria and atrazine runoff near the Rio Grande.
2. Knowledge Checkpoints: As students progress through the comic panels, the story pauses for interactive, multiple-choice comprehension questions that reinforce key scientific concepts.
3. Visual Payoff: Answering correctly unlocks the story's resolution and triggers a full-screen animated finale showing the character's real-world solution in action.

Career Exploration Dashboard: After finishing a narrative, students unlock an interactive career directory. Each profile outlines daily responsibilities, required degrees, salary expectations, job growth outlooks, and specific Texas employers hiring in that field.

3. Results
By blending gamified storytelling with localized career intelligence, the project turned a standard educational exhibit into an active recruitment and inspiration tool for ASU.

Community Context: Successfully connected abstract STEM topics to familiar West Texas environments (ranching, river ecosystems, local network security).
Clear Pathways:Provided students with a clear, step-by-step vision connecting middle and high school interest ASU degree programs high-demand regional careers.

Scalable Reach: The mobile lab format allows ASU to bring the experience directly to schools across expansive West Texas school districts.