Students in Rural Texas Explore STEM Career Pathways with New SmartLab HQ

Written by Bill Laurienti

Grady Independent School District (ISD) is in the rural community of Lenore TX, about 30 miles from Midland.

Thanks to a generous grant from QEP Resources, an oil and gas exploration company, Grady ISD students can now explore exciting career pathways in STEM with their new SmartLab HQ.

Principal Gary Jones explained that the new SmartLab HQ is benefiting students. “It just gives them a sense of pride and lets them see things out there that they wouldn’t be exposed to otherwise.”

Bill Laurienti

Bill Laurienti is a Content Marketing Specialist at Creative Learning Systems. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education (English) from Colorado Mesa University and a Master of Arts in Secondary Teaching from the University of California's Rossier School of Education. Bill came to CLS after 10 years in the secondary classroom. He believes SmartLabs are important tools for engaging unengaged students and helping them access careers they might not otherwise have imagined.

Case Study

Going beyond STEM to teach essential skills

When the team at Jewell Houston Academy, a magnet school in Texas, looked for a STEM program, they wanted one that would not only engage students in STEM careers but could also teach conflict-resolution, problem-solving, collaboration, and communication skills.

Read about how the SmartLab HQ impacted both learners and enrollment.

View the Case Study

Students in Rural Texas Explore STEM Career Pathways with New SmartLab HQ

Bill Laurienti

Going beyond STEM to teach essential skills

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