Chicago State University is located on the south side of Chicago, and the majority of participants in the van program are teachers in Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Because of this, the program must meet the needs of a very diverse group of schools with different resources and student backgrounds. During the past three years the Physics Van has served both well-performing schools and struggling schools in CPS.

There are four major components to the Physics Van program. These are the specific Physics Van activities, the two-week teacher inservice training, the van driver, and the acquisition of equipment for lending. Each of these components is integral to the successful implementation of the program in the high school physics class.