Entrepreneur and father Aaron Watkins has launched an IndieGoGo campaign to fund STEMtrunk, a subscription-based delivery service that ships educational tech toys to families. The toys range from Kindergarten to 8th grade and focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).
“Growing up in a tech-forward household, my own children always wanted the latest and greatest gear that they saw in the stores,” said Watkins. “But the rate at which they out grew items, or simply got bored with them was astounding. Their closets were cluttered with hundreds of dollars of products that hardly saw the light of day. It was not sustainable.”
STEMtrunk is designed to provide families with these toys and electronics at a much lower price point, by renting them. Toys can be kept as long as you want, and more expensive toys can be earned by using a credit system, which are allocated and saved each month.
The crowdfunding campaign features bundles which can be purchased in discounted 3, 6, or 12 month increments. The service normally costs $39/month +$10/shipping (includes both ways), with the first shipment free. Early backers will get their first shipment as early as May 2018.
STEMtrunk is also available for schools. Classroom Packs include enough toys for 30 students, as well as lesson plans to help teachers get the most out of them. Donating to the campaign wil also help fund an initiative to bring STEMtrunk into low income schools. For every $3000 in funding, one school will receive the Classroom Pack for free. School shipments are expected to ship for the this fall for the 2018-19 school year.
As of now the IndieGoGo campaign has 18 days remaining. It’s currently at 31% funding of a $15,000 goal.
