NewsDrop-Aug_Sept-2025

EAA EDUCATION OUTREACH CENTER

By: EAA EOC Staff

PUTTING THE S.T.E.A.M. into Education!

INTRODUCING OUR TOPOBOX - AN AUGMENTED REALITY EXPERIENCE. . . Our newest exhibit here at the EOC now includes a fully interactive augmented reality Topobox , an educational tool like no other. An eco-friendly corn cob media mix fills in the box to allow users to manipulate and build landforms to their hearts content. Throughout the summer, it has been a magnet for little, tiny hands to make mountains and valleys here and there. Without even realizing it, our tiny visitors have been learning through play, about the topographic features that dot the Texas landscape in the region. Small and big minds alike have used their imagi nation to build their own watersheds and with a wave of a hand, make it rain on their newly formed landscape. The space around the Topobox has become a place where discussion about how earth’s natural wonders are formed by weathering, erosion, and deposition. Through discussions

with our staff, learners hear about how wind and water are the major driving forces that shape the land around us. With the Topobox users can see how precipitation like rain may move through a watershed, a perfect visual that shows why a river or even an aquifer may or may not receive precipitation in the right places to feel the “recharge effect” of those rains. The Topobox is a versatile tool that will lend itself to many lessons for all grade levels for years to come. We invite you to come visit us and fully explore what a bit of corn cob and imagination can do.

If you’re interested in becoming part of the EOC Volunteer Team, visit our website at eaaeoc.org under the “Donate” tab to learn more. We would love to have you join us!

Join in!

Visit us and leave your review at:

Read our blog.

While most people were having their summer fun and preparing for back-to-school shopping deals on clothes and school supplies; the staff at the EOC have been quietly planning and preparing for the 2025-2026 school year in their own way. Back to school preparation looks a little different for us here at the EOC. We are taking stock of consumable items we use in activities, incorporating new presentations and lessons focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM).

We have also welcomed new exhibits and sensory bins. EOC staff have been working diligently on updating lessons to stay in line with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), the statewide standards mandated by the Texas Education Agency. By doing so, we maintain a level of consistency and quality that benefits all our stu dents, teachers and visitors alike. We have held teacher workshops, trained our vol unteers and staff in our new activities, and welcomed many visitors over the summer looking to explore and learn all things Edwards Aquifer.

Education Outreach Center Summer Hours: The EAA EOC is open Monday - Thursday 8 AM - 5 PM. Admission is free.

Book your school field trip, group tour, or self-guided visit today at: eaaeoc.org

12

13