Trying to get your child into STEM? Looking for a more hands-on approach to education? STEMtrunk is a subscription lending library for the best K-8th grade STEM (Science / Technology / Engineering / Math) toys in the world. So what does that mean? Simple - instead of paying hundreds of dollars to try out a new educational product - you get access to DOZENS of products delivered right to your door for one low monthly fee.

check out more products on our website

How Expensive are STEM products?

Here is an example of just a fraction of the 40+ products available to STEMtrunk subscribers, and how expensive they would be if you purchased them at the retail price vs using STEMtrunk credits:

LEGO Boost - $160... OR 2 Credits

BOSEbuild Speaker Cube - $150... OR 2 Credits

Cubetto - $225... OR 3 Credits

Sphero SPRK+ - $130... OR 2 Credits

Stemosaur - $140... OR 2 Credits

Osmo & Coding Awbie - $80... OR 1 Credit

Piper Computer - $300... OR 4 Credits

We are looking for backing so that we can purchase more inventory and build out some automation tools on our website which will help us to ship faster. By buying a STEMtrunk subscription on Indiegogo you will:

• Lock in your discount price for 3 / 6 / 12 months. Regularly $39/mo
• During your subscription, you will get 2 credits per month
• Sign up for 6 or 12 month packages and get a free bonus credit added to your account each month!
• Free shipping on your first delivery. (Future deliveries are $10/shipment - covers shipping in both directions)

A note from our CEO - Aaron Watkins

Hi Potential Backers!

As a parent of two smart and talented children (Ethan - 15 and Kelsey -9), I have spent years facing the same struggles other parents in our tech savvy world today face. I knew that STEM skills were important for my children, and I wanted to prepare them for a world that was rapidly changing.  Their version of "technology" though often meant sitting in front of a screen checking out the latest app or zoning out to a YouTube video. While I believe there is a place for the screen - I wanted my children's play to be both hands-on and educational.

Looking around - I found SO MUCH cool stuff that satisfied this desire. Robotics kits! Build-your-own-computer! Drones that would teach you how to program! Everywhere I looked, something new was popping up. The speed of innovation in children's educational products matches the rapid speed of technology changes in other areas of our life. But how was I to know which were high quality? Without trying it out, could I be sure that my child would enjoy any particular item? And the COST! I started sweating every time I went looking for a price tag. 

Why do we at STEMtrunk promote STEM education? Because we believe that STEM now = Jobs tomorrow. We face a changing world, one in which STEM skills are going to be fundamental for the majority of tomorrows workforce. Even now, we face a shortage of workers qualified to fill the demand for high paying jobs in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. It is our goal to help prepare more of our children to succeed in these areas in the future.

STEMtrunk is our solution to exposing more children to a wide variety of STEM educational options while not breaking the bank for parents. We hope you join us on our journey. I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from the amazing Bill Nye:

Keep Learning,

Aaron Watkins

STEMtrunk's are great for classrooms as well as families! Back one of our "Classroom Pack" levels and we will send a school of your choice a classroom sized subscription which includes not only enough kits to run a 30 student classroom, but lesson plans as well to guide teachers in how to work with them. STEMtrunk helps a school's technology grant stretch 10x further than it would if a school had to purchase, store and upkeep their own equipment! 

If you do not have children that are the right age group for STEMtrunk, you can still help promote STEM education across the country by sharing our campaign or backing our $25 STEM Love donation level or our $50 low income school fund. (This fund helps provide a STEMtrunk school program to a Title 1 school). Every penny helps! We will put the names of all of our backers on our website for eternity - including a link to your Twitter profile if you wish!

What happens if something breaks or is lost? This is our most common question, and at STEMtrunk we feel that parents shouldn't have to worry about something breaking. If small parts end up getting lost, you will not be charged for those, we keep plenty of spare parts lying around. If a product breaks, simple send it back and we will send you a new version of the product. If a product is lost completely and you are unable to return it, we have to charge you the MSRP of the product.

Do I pay for shipping? Your first shipment from STEMtrunk is free, and future shipments cost $10 per shipment. This is less than we pay to ship your product since we have to cover shipping it to you, and shipping it back to us, but it also keeps us from having to raise the monthly fee. Your $10 covers both the cost of shipping your item to you, and returning the item to us. (A return label is included in your trunk).

What if I want to keep the item? We are working on a system that will allow you to purchase the item if you wish to keep it and automatically be moved onto your next item. This will not be ready at launch however.

Is this available outside the United States? Not at the time, but it's in the plans!

What are credits? When you sign up for STEMtrunk you will get credits added to your account each month. If you do not use them right away, they accrue in your account. When you want to choose a new toy, you must have enough credits in your account to cover that product. Most products are 2-3 credits. 

What is the age range of products? Every parent knows their child best and what will work for them. We list on the website the manufacture recommended age ranges from kindergarten to 8th grade. 

Can I send this as a gift to someone else? Absolutely! Just designate their address as the shipping location. Please note that your card will be on file for shipping. 

Are the toys clean? Absolutely! Every product is sanitized prior to shipment.

Are you homeschool approved? Unlike other toy rental companies, STEMtrunk is 100% educational, making it easy to get funding approval for homeschoolers. In fact, we are already approved with a number of homeschool programs. If you would like us to get approval at your homeschool program, please contact us.

What happens to my credits if I cancel? If you cancel your subscription, and credits you have in your account will be put on hold. If you ever come back and sign up again, your credits will be made available to you again!

When will my STEMtrunk ship? Supporters who back STEMtrunk first will also get their shipments first, with an expected delivery date of May 2018. We will roll out additional shipments soon after.  If you have a specific date which you want to have shipping start, we are  offering a "delay my shipment" for families who may not want to start their shipments until later. School shipments are expected to begin in August / September for the 2018-2019 school year.