PBL + STEM/STEAM Learning in Maryland

SMARTLAB Learning in MARYLAND

Preparing Maryland Students for Tomorrow

Over 50 hours of SmartLab training provides tools to prepare teachers for student-directed PBL and STEM learning. Educators hone their skills in the art of facilitation, becoming more effective “guides on the side”.

SmartLab environments and curriculum build 21st century career skills like adaptability, self-direction, and communication that prepare students for life after high school

SmartLab students learn to establish goals, creatively solve problems, complete projects on time, and share their accomplishments with their community—all essential skills for current and future success. And when they tackle problems with real-world applications, they’re equipping themselves to develop tomorrow’s solutions.

Learn more about how SmartLab PBL + STEM environments and curriculum help Maryland schools prepare students for their futures below.

Learning Objectives

Meet Educational Goals in Maryland

The Maryland State Department of Education has launched a multi-year strategic plan that focuses on equitable, transformational education for all resident students, with an eye to college and career readiness through CTE (Career and Technical Education). The plan highlights the importance of schools engaging with stakeholders and influencers in their communities, both to seek financial support in delivering high-quality education and to help students forge connections between the classroom and the real world.

With hands-on, collaborative, project-based learning built into every engagement, SmartLabs can support Maryland’s educational goals by igniting curiosity in students of all ages and abilities, helping young learners identify future possibilities and transform into respectful, responsible lifelong learners.

See SmartLab’s transformative effect on Crossland High School’s computer science class in Temple Hills, MD.

Watch the Video

SMARTLAB Learning in MARYLAND

Support All Learners with Project-Based Engagements

SmartLabs provide PBL + STEM learning engagements for students of all ages, abilities, and interests. Through hands-on, minds-on instruction, SmartLab learning environments contextualize core STEM concepts while aligning with CTE and other educational objectives.

Supports Post-Secondary Preparedness: With SmartLab, students build next-generation skills including goal-setting, creative problem-solving, time management, and coherent presentation of their findings.
Strengthens STEM Foundation: Through self-reflection, learners connect their project-based work to foundational and grade-appropriate math, science, and computer science concepts.
Generates Authentic Engagement: In the SmartLab, learning is personalized through student choice, differentiated engagements, self-reflection, and the freedom to build projects around existing interests and background knowledge.
Augments CTE Initiatives: The comprehensive PBL + STEM curriculum prepares students for the careers of tomorrow. Learners tackle problems with real-world applications while practicing adaptability, self-direction, and communication.
Integrates SEL Concepts: SmartLab learning environments create and hold space for learners of all abilities and social-emotional needs to discover solutions together.

See SmartLab Research Foundation

SMARTLAB STANDARDS ALIGNMENT

Academic Achievement in Maryland

Maryland follows the Maryland College and Career-Ready Standards, which are based on the Common Core. SmartLab learning solutions are in 70% or higher alignment with the following standards:

Common Core Standards of Mathematical Practice: Learners apply mathematical concepts to solve problems they can see and feel. | Learn More

Next Generation Science Standards: Hands-on learning engagements bring core science concepts to three-dimensional life. | Learn More

International Society for Technology in Education Standards: Empowered with access to innovative tools—and the agency to explore their applications—students grow into their roles as digital citizens. | Learn More

Beginning in the 2023–2024 school year, Creative Learning Systems (the creators of SmartLab) is partnering with the Center for Research and Reform in Education (CRRE) at Johns Hopkins University to measure the efficacy of the SmartLab learning environment on student outcomes across five key domains. The results of the study will inform subsequent updates to the SmartLab curriculum, as well as help us identify the best ways to support both learners and facilitators.

SmartLab Standards Alignment

SmartLab Learning in Maryland

See which Maryland schools and districts have implemented SmartLab solutions.

Discover Your Funding Options

The Creative Learning Systems team has helped public, private, rural, urban, large, and small schools secure funding.

Help you navigate the ESSER and EANS allocation process
Help you identify a wide variety of technology-friendly grant programs that best match your school or district’s needs and resources
Conduct a free, personalized Research Report