Hirsch Elementary Launches Cutting-Edge STEM SmartLab with $160K Donation from the Campos Foundation

SmartLab is proud to celebrate Hirsch Elementary School in Spring Independent School District (Houston, Texas) for launching a brand-new SmartLab®, funded through a generous $160,000 donation from the Campos Foundation. This hands-on, technology-rich learning environment empowers students to explore STEM concepts through creativity, collaboration, and real-world problem solving.

Opening Doors Through STEM

Bright red tablets glow on the tables, magnetic blocks click together in students’ hands, and shelves lined with robotics kits and a brand-new 3D printer hum quietly in the corner. In this bright new classroom at Hirsch Elementary, imagination has a home — and opportunity has a door.

Funded by the Campos Foundation with a $160,517 investment and brought to life by SmartLab Learning, the new SmartLab gives Hirsch Hawks the chance to explore, build, and innovate, offering experiences many students might not otherwise have until much later in their education.

Since 2015, the Campos Foundation has served over 10,000 underrepresented minority and female students every year through STEM education initiatives. As of today, the organization has 16 Campos SmartLabs across five states, helping students see themselves as future innovators and leaders.

The SmartLab helps me create what I’m thinking—it helps me be smarter because the steps are easy to follow, and it’s fun. Before the fall break, we built a car and had to figure out how to make it go down a ramp and keep moving. I am very excited to work in the lab and continue to learn.

— Micah Williamson, Fifth-Grade Student at Hirsch Elementary School (Spring ISD, Houston, TX)

Empowering Every Student to Dream Bigger

With STEM careers continuing to grow across Texas and the nation, Hirsch’s new SmartLab creates more opportunities for students to explore technology, engineering, and innovation firsthand.

The SmartLab experience at Hirsch is designed to do more than teach—it helps students see themselves as capable innovators. By engaging in hands-on exploration and project-based challenges, learners begin to connect what they study in class to real-world applications.

Each experiment, design, and team collaboration builds confidence, resilience, and curiosity—skills that will carry them far beyond the classroom. For many Hirsch students, this is the first time they’ve been invited to take the lead in solving problems that mirror those faced by engineers, scientists, and creators in today’s world.

During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the Hirsch community came together to celebrate with student testimonials, teacher reflections, and remarks from district leaders, including Superintendent Dr. Kregg Cuellar, who noted:

Every child—regardless of background—deserves the chance to explore, create, and innovate in ways that prepare them for the future ahead. This SmartLab is more than a new space; it’s a symbol of what’s possible when we work together.

— Superintendent Dr. Kregg Cuellar (Spring ISD, Houston, TX)

Learning by Doing: Hands-On Projects for a Brighter Future

In the coming weeks, Hirsch students will begin scheduled SmartLab sessions guided by teachers and facilitators. Projects will include robotics, 3D printing, design challenges, and collaborative builds—hands-on experiences that connect classroom learning to real-world innovation.

The SmartLab curriculum, which spans grades 1–5, emphasizes the engineering design process: planning, creating, testing, analyzing, and revising.

Celina Salazar, Hirsch’s Gifted and Talented coordinator, explained how the lab’s impact reaches far beyond academics:

This gives students a chance to show what they know, learn from each other, and realize it’s okay to make mistakes. They’re developing collaboration, problem-solving, and feedback skills they’ll use for the rest of their lives. For many of them, this is their first time seeing themselves as scientists or engineers.

— Celina Salazar (Gifted and Talented Coordinator, Spring ISD, Houston, TX)

Equity in Action

By providing both the space and the structure, Hirsch Elementary is putting equity into action—ensuring that all students, regardless of background, have the tools and confidence to explore STEM.

The new SmartLab environment invites students to connect learning to life, transforming curiosity into confidence and sparking the belief that they belong in STEM.

As the ribbon fell and the first projects began, Principal Patterson summed up the day with pride and hope

Congratulations, Hirsch Elementary and Spring ISD! Your dedication to innovation, equity, and student empowerment is helping build a brighter, STEM-powered future — one project at a time.

Historically, minorities and women are underrepresented in STEM fields. Giving our students—boys and girls alike—this opportunity at such a young age helps them dream bigger. It opens doors to futures they may not have even known existed.

— Principal LaToya Patterson (Hirsch Elementary School, Spring ISD, Houston, TX)

About Spring ISD:
Spring Independent School District serves over 33,000 prekindergarten through 12th-grade students in a diverse district located 20 miles north of central Houston. From high-quality early childhood programs to college preparation courses and career pathway exploration, there are programs and services designed to meet the needs of every Spring ISD student. The district currently has 43 campuses that include 25 elementary schools, nine middle schools, six high schools and three ninth-grade centers. In addition to bilingual instruction and English as a Second Language programs, which have been well-established for many years, the district has added STEM-Focused Elementary Schools( Reynolds, Clark, Thompson, and Heritage Elementary schools), International Baccalaureate program, free full day pre-K at all of its elementary school campuses and Pre-K3 at six campuses. To learn more, visit https://www.springisd.org/.

About SmartLab:
SmartLab delivers turnkey, career-centered K-12 STEM programs that equip today’s students for tomorrow’s challenges. Every hands-on PBL solution integrates grade-appropriate STEM applications across eight industry pathways. SmartLab programs include dedicated classroom setups or flexible systems designed for mobility, along with standards-aligned curriculum, teacher training, and ongoing technical and curricular support. To learn more, visit smartlablearning.com.

Noel R Johnson
Creative Learning Systems
+1 800-458-2880
Public.Relations@CreativeLearningSystems.com