Borrow, Don’t Buy: Bring More STEM Learning Into Your Classroom

Creating engaging, hands on learning experiences does not always require purchasing new equipment or building a program from scratch.

Through the SSC Lending Library, educators across the region can access high- quality tools, materials, kits, and resources designed to enhance instruction and expand learning opportunities for students.

Whether you are introducing students to a new STEM concept, adding hands on learning to an existing lesson, or looking for a way to try something new without making a major investment, the Lending Library can help.

More Resources, Fewer Barriers

Great learning experiences often depend on having the right materials at the right time. But specialized STEM equipment can be expensive, difficult to store, or only needed for a particular unit or project.

That is where the SSC Lending Library comes in.

Instead of purchasing resources that may only be used occasionally, educators can borrow available materials and put them directly into the hands of students. The goal is simple: make it easier for educators to provide meaningful, experiential learning without cost or access becoming unnecessary barriers.

The Lending Library is supported through SSC programs including Mobile Science Lab, STEM Forward, and FORGE, helping create a shared regional resource that can serve educators and students throughout southeast Minnesota.

Explore What Is Available

The Lending Library includes educational kits and resources that can support STEM exploration, classroom enrichment, and new learning experiences.

Educators can browse the online catalog to see available resources, review kit information, place reservations, and keep track of current loans.

That makes the library useful whether you already know exactly what you need or simply want to explore ideas for an upcoming lesson, unit, or student experience.

Access to Lending Library resources varies by membership type. SSC Members may check out Mobile Science Career Kits, while STEM Forward Members have access to the full range of SSC Lending Library resources, including the Mobile Science Career Kits. Educators can review individual resources and availability through the online catalog.

Borrowing Is Easy

New to the SSC Lending Library? Getting started only takes a few steps.

Visit the online Lending Library and create an account using your school email address. During registration, users select the appropriate membership type, either STEM Forward for participating districts and organizations or SSC for other eligible Southeast Service Cooperative members.

Once your account is established, you can browse the catalog, view kit details, make reservations, and manage your loans online.

The process is designed to make finding and borrowing classroom resources as straightforward as possible.

Try Something New

One of the greatest benefits of a lending library is the opportunity to experiment.

An educator may want to introduce a new technology, add a hands on element to a science lesson, explore an engineering activity, or give students an experience that would otherwise require a significant equipment purchase.

Borrowing makes it possible to try those ideas first.

It also allows resources to be shared across schools and communities, extending their impact well beyond a single classroom.

For educators, that means more flexibility. For students, it means more opportunities to explore, build, test, problem solve, and discover.

Start Browsing Today

If there is a lesson you have wanted to expand or an experience you would like to bring into your classroom, the SSC Lending Library may already have a resource that can help.

Explore the collection, create an account, and see what you could bring to your students next.

Visit the SSC Lending Library at https://www.ssc.coop/lending to learn more and get started.

Questions? Contact Eric Christians at the Southeast Service Cooperative at echristians@ssc.coop for help accessing the library or getting started.