3M’s Safety Roadshow Brings Hands-On Learning to Students in Alabama, Arkansas and Missouri

Originally published on 3M News Center

When you come aboard 3M’s Safety Roadshow – a 90-foot semitrailer equipped with hands-on training experiences from 3M’s Personal Safety Division – the hum of robotics machinery and student chatter is unavoidable. That was the case at Joe T. Robinson High School, one of three stops in the Little Rock area this spring where more than 200 students eagerly took on roles as production managers, design engineers, assemblers, and quality control inspectors – all working feverously to create the perfect set of modeling clay “cookie” based on customer requirements.

That scene was part of 3M’s recent engagements with the company’s mobile training facility in communities where 3M manufacturing sites are located. The goal is to inspire students to pursue careers in STEM – science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – and the skilled trades.

The Safety Roadshow, which has been visiting training centers and customers in the U.S. and Canada for 11 years, expanded its reach to school districts for the first time this year. 

"Opportunities with visits like this help open a world of possibilities for students while helping address the future workforce needs of our country,” said Michelle Diggs, 3M’s director of external community impact.

In sessions during each roadshow stop, students were grouped together and each took charge of different aspects of their simulated production line. A table-top robot analyzed their clay “cookies” to determine if they met the required standards, allowing students to tweak their creations until they achieved success.

"All jobs in a production process do their own things and collaborate to create one product," Madison Chang, a tenth grader in the school's Science and Technology pathway, told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette after her session.

Markous Jewett, vice president of the Academies of Central Arkansas and the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, emphasized the importance of extending learning beyond classroom walls.

"These are things we wouldn't be able to do in a traditional classroom setting," he said. "We lean on our industry partners to provide their time, talent, and expertise."

The Safety Roadshow also introduced students to a wide range of personal protective equipment (PPE), including hard hats, eye and hearing protection, and respirators.

Stephanie Baum, sales training manager for PSD, highlighted the preventative nature of the exercise.

"If we can have those conversations before they're even entering the workforce, they can help educate and empower themselves and their coworkers," she said.

By bringing real-world insights and hands-on experiences to students, 3M aims to bridge the gap in STEM and skilled trades industries.

"Innovation isn't just about science," Baum added. "It's about looking at things differently and partnering with communities to teach in new ways."

While in Little Rock, 3M presented a check to the Pulaski County Special School District for $119,000, which included funds for strategic investments for the school system determined by students and administrators, funds from the 3M Little Rock “hometown giving” site budget for College Station Elementary School, and funds from the 3Mgives Little Rock Donors Choose classroom support budget for projects submitted by College Station Elementary teachers.

Earlier the same week, the Safety Roadshow visited the Career Academies of Decatur – a high school in Decatur, Alabama, established in 2024 as the first high school in north Alabama dedicated to STEM and skilled trades. More than 250 students took part in sessions similar to those in Little Rock, including problem-solving games where students had to unscramble terms to identify and appropriately dress a mannequin with correct PPE.

Also, while in Decatur, 3M donated $215,000 to the Decatur City Schools Foundation, which included seed and launch funding for the Career Academies’ industrial maintenance program, and funding for districtwide after-school tutoring and food security assistance programs.

3M’s Safety Roadshow will continue its stops throughout 2025, with student engagements planned for Indiana, Minnesota, and Texas.