Staff photo / R. Michael Semple Lincoln PK-8 School fourth grader Abigail Henning, 10, far right, gives her remarks during a presentation for the Warren City School District’s Mobile STEM Lab Wednesday afternoon. The mobile lab was named Farber Specialty Vehicles’ 2025 Vehicle of the Year.

WARREN — The city school district on Wednesday celebrated its Mobile STEM Lab being named Farber Specialty Vehicles’ 2025 Vehicle of the Year.

District officials, students, community leaders and representatives from Farber Specialty Vehicles gathered at the unit to honor the customized mobile classroom, which brings robotics, 3D printing, programming and other interactive experiences directly to the district’s six buildings — four PK-8 buildings, the high school and the student recreation and wellness center.

“This is much more than a celebration of a vehicle, it’s a celebration of innovation, creativity, partnerships, and most importantly, our students,” Associate Superintendent of Student Wellness and Success Danielle Miller said during the event.

Superintendent Steve Chiaro said the lab emerged from challenges the district faced re-engaging students after remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Officials said they sought to spark curiosity through experiential learning.

Chiaro said the vehicle’s exterior features colorful gears representing each school building working together, along with the phrase “We Are Warren” on the back.

Richard Rohr, the Mobile STEM Lab teacher, said students respond enthusiastically to the exploratory environment. Classes work in small groups on standards-aligned lessons involving robotics and technology in a relaxed setting that welcomes trial and error, problem-solving and teamwork over rigid instruction.

“The biggest hit … is just that the vehicle looks spectacular,” Rohr said. “It’s exploratory. It’s a nice alternative to regular classroom learning.”

District officials said the lab has been deployed across all six buildings, giving students opportunities to develop critical thinking and career readiness skills in emerging fields.

Fifth-grader Abigail Henning of Lincoln PK-8 School told attendees the lab made learning enjoyable.

“My classmates and I love learning about 3D printing, robots and programming,” she said. “My favorite part of the lab is getting to build and create new things. One of my favorite experiences was programming a robot to move through an obstacle course.”

The recognition from Farber came through a national contest that drew more than 11,000 votes. Of those votes, 4,200 of them came from the city.

Warren’s Mobile STEM Lab topped the field, beating out roughly 15 other vehicles, officials said.

AJ England announced a $1,000 donation tied to the award and called Warren the “vehicle of forever” as the first winner of the new recognition.

Chiaro said the unit was grant-funded and locally produced.