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!!!
Why SmartLab?
Engagement isn’t a bonus—it’s the lever.
SmartLab is a career-connected STEM ecosystem that helps students build confidence, competence, and a clear sense of purpose. Through hands-on, real-world learning tied to industry pathways, students gain more than knowledge—they form a strong STEM identity and develop skills that carry into any future they choose.
These ah-HA! moments turn
engagement into long-term growth.
To the right: Hear from educators about how what looks like play turns into measurable—and visible—results. →
Future forward skills prepare students
for the real world.
These five integrated components create a student-centered STEM learning system that grows with every learner.
Curriculum, tools, training, support, and space—aligned from the start.
SmartLab isn’t just a curriculum or a makerspace—it’s an aligned system. Every program combines hands-on tools, structured learning, teacher training, and purpose-built environments, all working together to build skills that last.
This integration is what turns ah-HA! moments into long-term growth.
I belong here.
I can do this.
I make an impact.
STEM identity isn’t about test scores. It’s about self-belief: I belong here. I can do this. I make an impact. Every SmartLab project is designed to create ah-HA moments that build this mindset—and with it, confidence, skill, and purpose.
STEM identity grows through real-world,
team-based challenges.
Middle schooler sharing a prototype
and receiving peer feedback.
SmartLab equips students with durable, transferable skills for life beyond school.
In SmartLab, learning is more than academic—it’s adaptive, applied, and lasting. Students collaborate, iterate, and solve problems they’ve never seen before. These are the skills they’ll carry with them into careers, communities, and challenges still to come.
SmartLab students develop durable skills by tackling realistic challenges.
As well as standards alignment and career-connections, SmartLab curriculum builds durable skills relevant to life management As they explore, create, and solve problems, students build the exact capabilities employers value most: critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and adaptability.
Communication
Communication
Learners should understand that using various communication methods tailored to different audiences fosters effective and meaningful sharing of STEM knowledge and discoveries.
Collaboration
Collaboration
Learners should understand that effective collaboration leverages the strengths of diverse groups, fosters mutual respect, and creates optimized outcomes that reflect shared goals.
Design Process
Design Process
Learners should understand that iterative steps guide the creation of effective and innovative strategiesto evaluate and refine ideas, improve existing designs, and solve real-world problems.
Research Design
Research Design
Learners should understand that professionals apply scientific inquiry and methods to analyze natural systems, make and test predictions about them, and use data and observations to address challenges.
Tools of Knowledge Construction
Tools of Knowledge Construction
Learners should understand that the acquisition of new knowledge, connection to prior knowledge, and critical and creative thinking can be enhanced with effective use of technology and tools.
Computational Thinking
Computational Thinking
Learners should understand that abstraction, decomposition, pattern recognition, and algorithmic thinking can be used to understand and solve real-world problems.
Systems Thinking
Systems Thinking
Learners should understand that whole systems are made up of interconnected and interdependent parts that influence each other.
Mathematical Concepts
Mathematical Concepts
Learners should understand that mathematical knowledge can be applied through reasoning, modeling, and analysis to reveal patterns, understand relationships, and improve processes in complex systems.
Natural Systems
Natural Systems
Learners should understand that natural systems are interconnected, dynamic, and self-regulating, maintaining balance through complex interactions between components.
AI Literacy
AI Literacy
Learners should understand that AI systems are embedded into our everyday lives, making it essential to understand associated ethics, benefits, and potential risks.
Ethics
Ethics
Learners should understand that solutions to real-world problems should consider short- and long-term trade-offs, sustainability, and stakeholder impact.
Digital Citizenship
Digital Citizenship
Learners should understand that digital literacy allows for benefits of the interconnected world; however, it comes with responsibilities and opportunities that should be leveraged in a safe, legal, and ethical way.
Persistence
Persistence
Learners should understand that when approached with a growth mindset, failures provide valuable insights and opportunities to expand understanding, which can be applied to solve real-world problems.
Data Literacy
Data Literacy
Learners should understand that data collection and interpretation allows for the extraction of meaninful insights and data-driven decision making.
Lifelong Learning
Lifelong Learning
Learners should understand that embracing a mindset of lifelong learning empowers us to adapt to change, stay relevant, and make meaningful contributions throughout our lives.
These skills shape how students think, work, and grow across every grade level.
These skills shape how students think, work, and grow across every grade level.
Engagement opens the door to deep learning.
The best evidence of impact often isn’t in a test score—it’s in what students say, build, and believe. In SmartLab, students take ownership of their learning while educators shift into the role of guide and coach. As the classroom dynamic changes, so do the outcomes: stronger engagement, more meaningful collaboration, and learning that’s harder to miss—and harder to measure by traditional means.
To the right: Hear from SmartLab eductaors from classroom teachers to superintendents about the value their students get from incorporating SmartLab in their schools. →
See how educators describe this shift.
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.
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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.
