SmartLab is proud to celebrate the grand opening of a new SmartLab at Urban Promise Academy in Oakland! Yesterday’s ribbon cutting at Urban Promise Academy Middle School marked an exciting milestone — the launch of a SmartLab designed to spark a lifelong love of STEM while helping students see how science, technology, engineering, and math connect to the world around them.
This inspiring project was made possible through the generosity of the the Campos Foundationand the leadership of Marco Campos and Deanna Campos Miller, whose commitment to expanding STEM opportunities for underserved communities continues to make a lasting impact. To date, the Campos Foundation has funded 16 SmartLabs, totaling more than $2.5 million to support future-ready learning.
We’re grateful to Oakland Unified School District, the dedicated Urban Promise Academy team, and Principal Tierre Mesa for their partnership in bringing this vision to life. Special thanks to Star Dust (https://hubs.la/Q03Sxbdj0) for blending rap and STEM in an unforgettable performance that energized the celebration.
Dr. Jennifer Berry, CEO of SmartLab, and Phaven Berhe, Growth Partner, shared inspiring remarks about the power of project-based learning to help students build their STEM identity — to know they belong, that their ideas have value, and that they are future ready.
Congratulations to the entire Oakland community! You never know which student will become the next inventor, scientist, or engineer — and we can’t wait to see the amazing things that will emerge from this SmartLab.
