Video
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!!!
Career-Connected
PBL Curriculum
Career-connected learning starts with curriculum that engages.
SmartLab curriculum begins with engagement—and builds toward real-world application. Every project is grounded in an authentic challenge. Each challenge is built from a Career Connection—the intersection of a STEM application and an industry pathway—which gives the work both relevance and direction. These intersections become meaningful through hands-on, project-based learning, using age-appropriate tools, technologies, and thinking professionals use every day.
As students navigate these challenges, they build not only knowledge—but identity. The curriculum is designed to help students see themselves as problem solvers and creators with agency in an increasingly technological and technical world—regardless of the career path they ultimately choose. This development of STEM identity begins in elementary and deepens through middle school as students take on increasingly complex, real-world roles.
Students use CAD software and 3D printing to design inclusive housing solutions.
Curriculum grows with students—and follows a clear design process.
SmartLab offers three programs—Explorer, Pathfinder, and Spark—each structured around SmartLab’s five-part framework: curriculum, tools, learning environment, educator support, and sustainability.
Each program incorporates the SmartLab Design Process—Spark, Make, Analyze, Revise, Tell—which guides students through cycles of inquiry and invention. This consistent structure helps them explore ideas, test prototypes, revise their work, and present their thinking while developing real-world competencies like collaboration and creative problem solving.
Programs are delivered through LearningHub, SmartLab’s digital platform, and can be flexibly implemented in dedicated spaces or regular classrooms. Local teams can tailor delivery to available time, space, and staffing.
Explorer introduces STEM tools through flexible, interdisciplinary challenges that connect classroom learning to the world around them. A unit might ask students to design an accessible playground, test wind-powered vehicles, or engineer water filters.
Pathfinder prepares students for CTE pathways by deepening their technical fluency, problem-solving skills, and career awareness. Students explore urban planning, biomedical engineering, or smart agriculture—building both expertise and purpose.
Spark invites students to follow their curiosity while building foundational fluency with STEM tools, systems, and ideas. A student might prototype a musical instrument, design a simple machine, or model a water cycle with coding tools.
The SmartLab Design Process Inspires Innovation and Creative Problem Solving
The SmartLab Design Process empowers students to tackle challenges with creativity and purpose. This iterative framework guides learners through critical steps such as brainstorming, planning, prototyping, testing, and refining their solutions. By emphasizing exploration and reflection, the process helps students develop resilience and adaptability while honing essential skills like critical thinking and collaboration. Whether designing a product, solving a complex problem, or exploring new ideas, the SmartLab Design Process encourages students to think like innovators and approach real-world challenges with confidence.
What career-connected learning looks like
SmartLab students bring STEM applications to life through meaningful, hands-on projects. These examples show how learners use real tools and technologies to explore and solve challenges:
Grounded in standards. Designed for flexibility.
SmartLab curriculum is aligned to national and state academic standards—including Common Core, NGSS, ISTE, and CSTA—while also supporting local priorities like CTE. Every project starts with student engagement—hands-on, relevant, and active—while staying aligned to clear academic objectives. Teachers get the flexibility to adapt instruction as needed, while students benefit from a clear, consistent structure that encourages exploration and accountability.
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
“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.”
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.
