Student engagement is at levels I have never seen in my 23 years of teaching. Students love the lab and are constantly asking if they can come down in their free time to continue working with Ukits, or Engino, etc. I’ve never been busier as a teacher, but also have never had more fun. It’s encouraged me to gladly take work home and get more proficient in areas such as coding and circuitry. I see myself as a lifelong learner, and this lab not only meets the needs of my students but also fulfills my own growth as a facilitator and person. I appreciate my administration for investing in this lab and appreciate SmartLab for offering such an incredible product!!!
Ana’s STEM Journey
I Belong Here: Ana’s
STEM Journey Begins
Ana didn’t speak up much in class—until she found reasons to. Each SmartLab project gave her new challenges to wrestle with, new tools to try, and real teammates to share ideas with.
Bit by bit, she practiced being a problem solver and found she had something to say. It started with curiosity. It turned into confidence. And it grew into a sense of purpose she carries forward.
Watch Ana bring the Harvest Hauler to life!
I Can Do This: Ana Tackles a Real-World Challenge
In the Harvest Hauler Explorer unit, Ana helped design a delivery route to get farm-fresh food where it was needed most—solving for a real-life problem. This early experience became one of her first STEM ah-HA! moments. Her route worked. She realized technology can help real people, and that moment stuck with her.
Industry: Agriculture,
Natural Resources and Energy
Integrated STEM Application:
Robotics and Control Technology
Unit Challenge: How can we program a self-driving delivery truck to help a farmer bring food to our community?
Unit Overview: Learners explore how food goes from farm-to-table, considering food distribution challenges and focusing on delivering fresh produce to food deserts.
How are you supporting your students’ STEM journey?
Ana’s first ah-HA! moment in the SmartLab.
Ana’s final build gave her the confidence to speak up.
Ana Sees Her Ideas
Come to Life
Ana had been building confidence with every challenge. But this time, she had something to show for it—a working model and a story to tell. She learned that confidence doesn’t come first. It comes from trying, sometimes failing, and seeing her ideas take shape over tie.
“ah-HA!” Moments
Halfway through the unit, Ana had an ah-HA! moment: when a small design tweak made her hauler move more efficiently, and she realized she was thinking like a real engineer! By the end of the unit, Ana had a functioning hauler—and a newfound belief in her potential as a problem-solver.
I’m Future-Ready: Ana’s STEM Identity Takes Shape
Follow Ana’s progression through SmartLab Explorer, Pathfinder, and Spark as she builds confidence, develops skills, and discovers her STEM identity through ah-HA! moments that connect learning to the world around her.
How are you supporting your students’ STEM journey?
Ana’s Spark project helped her discover a passion for sustainable design—and a future in chemical engineering.
Ana’s STEM Journey to a Chemical Engineering Career
Ana’s first SmartLab project—the Harvest Hauler—planted the seed. She learned that technology could solve real problems, like food insecurity. That early experience sparked a string of ah-HA! moments: finding her creative voice in storytelling, learning to build apps that help others, and using inclusive design to make digital spaces more accessible.
But it was a Spark project on air quality that changed everything. Ana and her team developed a sensor system that tracked pollution at local parks. When their data helped the city adjust maintenance plans, Ana realized: I add value. My solutions matter.
That success helped her see the connections between engineering, chemistry, community health, and justice. Now, she’s applying to chemical engineering programs with a portfolio full of purpose—and a future she can already picture.
How do you prep students for future-ready careers?
Meet the SMART friends.
Simon makes sure no one gets left out. Maya challenges how technology gets made. Ana’s just one voice. Remy designs things that fly. Theo builds tools to solve local problems. STEM identity takes shape in every story.
Every student’s story reveals a new way STEM learning comes to life.
What Educators Say
“SmartLab Learning’s turnkey solutions allowed us to move quickly to implement a district-wide STEM program…the SmartLab Learning solutions plus the professional development allowed our students to be actively engaged in project-based learning immediately.”
“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.”
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.
Video
Ready to start planning your SmartLab?
We’re excited to hear from you. Let’s change the way your students engage with math and science–in and outside the classroom.
