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“The SmartLab HQs have given us a scope and sequence that has provided our students the opportunity to think and learn in a much different way. We consistently hear that students are eager to get back into the SmartLab because they can showcase learning outcomes that are much different than in the traditional classroom.”
Career Connections
When students see where STEM can take them, they start to see themselves in new ways.
Turning STEM Learning
Into Career Exploration
SmartLab helps students make meaningful connections between what they learn and who they might become. Every unit begins at the intersection of real-world Career and Industry Pathways and Integrated STEM Applications. Students engage with hands-on challenges that deepen curiosity, build transferable skills, and connect academic content to future careers.
This work doesn’t just prepare students for the future—it helps them begin to see themselves in it. When learners understand how their skills connect to real opportunities, they begin building a STEM identity rooted in agency, purpose, and possibility.
Students prepare for the careers of tomorrow at Greeley–Evans School District 6 in Colorado
Where Career Connections Begin
Career Connections happen when Integrated STEM applications meet Career and Industry Pathways. This intersection grounds every SmartLab unit in meaningful context, helping students understand how their learning links to real careers, real tools, and real futures.
See Where Learning Leads
Every SmartLab unit is aligned with a specific Career & Industry Pathway ranging from architecture to agriculture. These frameworks help students see how classroom learning connects to real careers and community impact.
Agriculture, Natural
Resources, & Energy
Advanced Manufacturing
Construction
& Architecture
Education
& Training
Finance, Business, & Entrepreneurship
Health
Sciences
Media, Arts, & Entertainment
Transportation & Logistics
Connect STEM to the Real World
SmartLab’s integrated STEM applications give students access to real tools and technologies used in diverse industries—from AI and data analysis to electronics and multimedia. These experiences empower students to solve age-appropriate challenges in ways that feel relevant, inspiring, and real.
Artificial
Intelligence
Circuitry and
Electronics
Communications
& Multimedia
Information
Technology
Robotics & Control Technology
Modeling & Design
Mechanics & Structures
Data Collection & Analysis
Real-World, Learner-Centered Experiences
Students don’t just use technology—they apply it. With access to real tools and open-ended challenges, SmartLab learners gain agency, confidence, and clarity about how they can use STEM in the real world.
It’s not about “doing tech”.
It’s about becoming a problem solver.
Durable Skills That Transfer Beyond the Classroom
SmartLab equips students with essential skills that endure across school, work, and life. As learners tackle hands-on challenges, they build communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and adaptability. These durable skills help students become confident, capable problem-solvers—ready to succeed in any college or career path. Along the way, they begin to see themselves as STEM learners and doers, building the identity and self-belief that supports long-term success.
Communication
Communication
Learners should understand that using various communication methods tailored to different audiences fosters effective and meaningful sharing of STEM knowledge and discoveries.
Collaboration
Collaboration
Learners should understand that effective collaboration leverages the strengths of diverse groups, fosters mutual respect, and creates optimized outcomes that reflect shared goals.
Design Process
Design Process
Learners should understand that iterative steps guide the creation of effective and innovative strategiesto evaluate and refine ideas, improve existing designs, and solve real-world problems.
Research Design
Research Design
Learners should understand that professionals apply scientific inquiry and methods to analyze natural systems, make and test predictions about them, and use data and observations to address challenges.
Tools of Knowledge Construction
Tools of Knowledge Construction
Learners should understand that the acquisition of new knowledge, connection to prior knowledge, and critical and creative thinking can be enhanced with effective use of technology and tools.
Computational Thinking
Computational Thinking
Learners should understand that abstraction, decomposition, pattern recognition, and algorithmic thinking can be used to understand and solve real-world problems.
Systems Thinking
Systems Thinking
Learners should understand that whole systems are made up of interconnected and interdependent parts that influence each other.
Mathematical Concepts
Mathematical Concepts
Learners should understand that mathematical knowledge can be applied through reasoning, modeling, and analysis to reveal patterns, understand relationships, and improve processes in complex systems.
Natural Systems
Natural Systems
Learners should understand that natural systems are interconnected, dynamic, and self-regulating, maintaining balance through complex interactions between components.
AI Literacy
AI Literacy
Learners should understand that AI systems are embedded into our everyday lives, making it essential to understand associated ethics, benefits, and potential risks.
Ethics
Ethics
Learners should understand that solutions to real-world problems should consider short- and long-term trade-offs, sustainability, and stakeholder impact.
Digital Citizenship
Digital Citizenship
Learners should understand that digital literacy allows for benefits of the interconnected world; however, it comes with responsibilities and opportunities that should be leveraged in a safe, legal, and ethical way.
Persistence
Persistence
Learners should understand that when approached with a growth mindset, failures provide valuable insights and opportunities to expand understanding, which can be applied to solve real-world problems.
Data Literacy
Data Literacy
Learners should understand that data collection and interpretation allows for the extraction of meaninful insights and data-driven decision making.
Lifelong Learning
Lifelong Learning
Learners should understand that embracing a mindset of lifelong learning empowers us to adapt to change, stay relevant, and make meaningful contributions throughout our lives.
These skills shape how students think, work, and grow across every grade level.
These skills shape how students think, work, and grow across every grade level.
Aligned to What Matters Most
Every SmartLab unit is grounded in academic standards and enhanced with real-world relevance. Students meet learning goals while building the skills that matter most beyond school.
Success in Action
Districts across the country use SmartLab to strengthen engagement, improve performance, and empower students.
Explore how different communities are making it work.
What Educators Say
“We are able to work with our students to get them career and college ready, and we do that K-12. SmartLabs help by getting students’ hands on projects and activities, getting them working with partners in the classroom, and getting them building something they would’ve never have imagined they could build…it’s actually shown our community what our students are capable of.”
“In our SmartLab, students become empowered and engaged as they use critical thinking, curiosity, and collaboration to apply content standards. I have yet to meet a student who doesn’t love this class or
benefit from this connected approach to learning.”
“In our school, some students need help learning to resolve conflict. In a SmartLab HQ, students learn to be problem-solvers while boosting their communication skills—this helps them learn how to resolve conflicts. Here, they’re engaged and on-task. They’re thinking, learning, and solving problems.”
Ready to transform learning in your school?
Together, we’ll bring the SmartLab ecosystem to your school. Students will engage deeply in STEM, take on real-world challenges, and build the skills for lifelong learning, leadership, and career readiness.
