On Tuesday, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science downtown Dallas rolled out its TECH Trucks for students from Sarah Zumwalt Middle School in South Dallas, and brought in some surprise guests; Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki and his wife Jessica Nowitzki.
"He's right there," student Corde Fields said pointing to Dirk Nowitzki's towering 7-foot figure in the parking lot outside the Perot Museum.
"A lot of schools and communities don't have the resources to have a setup," Dirk Nowitzki said. "So with the TECH Trucks specifically, they can go into neighborhoods and show them these resources and innovative programs."
The Nowitzkis roamed from truck to truck, helping students with basketball-themed STEM projects, testing their creations, and encouraging students to keep trying.
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"We didn't have a program like this or a museum like this when we grew up," Jessica Nowitzki said. "And I think having a gem like the Perot Museum in the community is just invaluable."
"It's what we're trying to do with our foundation," Dirk Nowitzki said. "So for us it was an easy collaboration."
At one TECH truck, students worked on basketball shoe designs.
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"I'm gonna ask him first the shoe size," student Dalynn Hudspeth said. "He is tall. He's probably got long feet!"
"I can't even get my toe in there. We need a little bigger," Nowitzki said trying on one of the student's shoe creations. "Can you make some in my size? Size 16."
"He went from just a person like us, just to be great," Hudspeth said. "It was an honor to meet him, really... he influenced me to be better."
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"You can do anything with dreams, and obviously hard work, and obviously with the right resources," Nowitzki said. "That's why I'm here; to support and show these kids anything is possible."
The Perot Museum of Nature and Science is marking its 10th anniversary with 10 events highlighting the museum's impact on the next generation of STEM workers. Tuesday's event was the third in a series.
