COLUMBUS, Ohio – Be on the lookout for a black 35-foot RV with a large 4-H clover in its side with giant red letters that reads “Educate.” That bus is traversing Ohio, looking to inspire and educate young, tech-minded youth.

Ohio State University’s 4-H Mobile Design Lab targets those in grades K through 12. So far the bus has been in 50 of Ohio’s 88 counties and has been spotted at county fairs, events, festivals and. It’s a mobile classroom on wheels.

The Mobile Design Lab is part of the university’s Digital Flagship initiative, which aims to instill basic tenets of design and familiarity with coding languages in students at all age levels.

 “A few years ago we started a program with Apple and we called that program Clover CODE,” said David Light, Associate Professor of Youth Development at the OSU Department of Extension.

Light says the “CODE” stands for Creative Opportunities Designed for Everyone.

“We teach creativity and computer science activities to youth in grades K through 12 throughout Ohio,” Light said.

The RV was made possible through an Ohio Department of Education grant.

“The inside of the bus is a lab outfitted with technology that gives us the opportunity to become a mobile classroom,” Light said. “We can introduce any subject matter into that classroom setting, but specifically we’re working with technology of computer science and creative activity. We have the opportunity to create digital music, digital arts using the Apple pencil, and we even have coding sessions whereby the students can learn how to code on the bus.”

The bus includes a canopy and an outside television so that classwork can be performed on a nice day.

“We’re able to teach the students about robotics and drone programs outside the bus, too,” Light said.

“For a lot of people, when you mention 4-H they quickly think of agriculture and livestock, and that’s fine,” Light said. “This Mobile Design Lab is opening up their eyes to see that technology and coding can be a big part of 4-H. We want kids to see a connection to their future career and how that career may be engaged in technology. In the end, we’re trying to move youth from being content consumers to being content creators.

“Instead of watching NetFlix, YouTube or playing video games, we want them to become production designers and graphic designers, and coding these apps and games for the future.”