Connect with SmartLab Regional Sales Manager Kelley Fitzsimmons at the 2026 Schools of the Future Conference in Honolulu, HI on October 20-21, and join a conversation about one of the most important opportunities in K–12 education: helping every student develop a strong STEM Identity. The future of STEM education begins with something more powerful than technology: a student’s belief in what they are capable of becoming. At SmartLab, STEM Identity is a learner’s self-belief that “I belong, I can master rigorous challenges, and my ideas have impact.” When students develop that belief, they begin to see challenges differently, recognize the value of their ideas, and imagine new possibilities for their futures. That belief is at the heart of the SmartLab integrated STEM ecosystem, where hands-on, project-based learning connects classroom experiences to real-world applications and future careers. Students have meaningful opportunities to create, collaborate, solve problems, persevere through challenges, and experience the ah-HA! moments that build confidence, agency, and a sense of belonging. And they’re developing far more than STEM knowledge. Through authentic, career-connected learning, students strengthen critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, adaptability, AI literacy, and the durable skills they’ll need to navigate an evolving world and help shape what comes next. If you’ll be at the 2026 Schools of the Future Conference in Honolulu, HI, connect with Kelley Fitzsimmons to explore what becomes possible when we design learning around not only what students need to know, but who they can become. Discover how SmartLab is helping schools create future-ready learning environments where more students can confidently say: I belong here. I can do this. I add value. I’m future ready. Learn more and connect with us: hubs.la/Q04BxxfG0 #SmartLab #STEMIdentity #STEMEducation #PBL #CareerConnectedLearning #FutureReady

Engineering isn't just about building things. It's about building confident problem-solvers who are ready for the future. hubs.ly/Q04BzYvJ0 Engineering is one of the most powerful ways students develop the confidence, creativity, and problem-solving skills they'll use throughout their lives. Through career-connected STEM learning, students learn to ask better questions, test ideas, iterate, collaborate, and solve authentic challenges that mirror the way innovation happens in the real world. Read how hands-on engineering experiences help students connect STEM concepts to meaningful, real-world learning while building critical thinking, resilience, collaboration, and a lasting STEM identity. From designing bridges and building circuits to testing prototypes and improving solutions, engineering challenges empower students to see themselves as capable problem-solvers whose ideas have impact. The goal isn't simply to prepare future engineers. It's to help every student discover they belong in STEM, believe they can solve meaningful problems, and develop the confidence and durable skills to succeed in whatever future they choose. Read the blog: hubs.ly/Q04BzYvJ0 #STEMEducation #CareerConnectedLearning #EngineeringEducation #HandsOnLearning #ProjectBasedLearning #STEMIdentity #FutureReadyStudents #K12STEM #EducationInnovation #ProblemSolving

Preparing students for an AI-powered future requires more than technical knowledge. It requires the confidence, critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and problem-solving skills to navigate what comes next. hubs.la/Q04ByX3k0 Dr. Jennifer Berry, CEO of SmartLab, joins Angelina Carlton on the Design Your Legacy podcast for a conversation about STEM education, youth development, workforce readiness, and the role today’s leaders can play in shaping future generations. Dr. Berry explores the power of STEM identity and why the durable skills students develop through hands-on, project-based learning are increasingly essential in a rapidly changing world. She also shares how SmartLab’s integrated STEM learning ecosystem brings together curriculum, hands-on tools and equipment, certified facilitators, customized learning environments, and ongoing support and partnership to create meaningful learning experiences for K–12 students. The conversation explores: 🔹 Building STEM identity through authentic learning experiences 🔹 Developing durable skills for an AI-powered world 🔹 Strengthening critical thinking, discernment, and problem solving 🔹 Creating opportunities for collaboration, communication, and reflection 🔹 Connecting K–12 education with workforce and career readiness 🔹 Engaging businesses and communities as partners in student success 🔹 Building a lasting legacy by investing in the potential of young people The future will demand students who can do more than find answers. It will require young people who can think deeply, ask better questions, collaborate with others, adapt to challenges, and confidently solve real-world problems. Discover the full conversation and explore how purposeful, hands-on STEM learning can help prepare students to lead what comes next. hubs.la/Q04ByX3k0 #SmartLab #STEMEducation #STEMLearning #STEMIdentity #ProjectBasedLearning #CareerConnectedLearning #DurableSkills #ProblemSolving #FutureOfEducation

The future of education isn't just about preparing students to use technology. It's about empowering them to shape what comes next. In an AI-powered world, how do we ensure every student has the confidence, skills and opportunities to thrive in a future we can't yet imagine? hubs.la/Q04BtKqH0 In an inspiring podcast conversation, SmartLab CEO Dr. Jennifer Berry explores why the future of K-12 education must go beyond traditional instruction and technical skills to build something even more powerful: STEM identity. At SmartLab, we define STEM identity as a learner's self-belief built on three powerful principles: I belong. I can master rigorous challenges. My ideas have impact. Through immersive, hands-on STEM education and career-connected, project-based learning, SmartLab helps students transform curiosity into discovery, challenges into confidence and classroom experiences into real-world possibilities. Dr. Berry shares how developing critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration is essential to preparing students for an AI-powered future. She also explores the importance of connecting STEM learning to real-world careers and expanding educational equity so that every student, regardless of background or circumstance, has access to transformative learning opportunities. One of the most inspiring moments? Dr. Berry shares the story of a seventh grader who, while flying a drone in his SmartLab, began imagining how that technology could solve real-world problems and open doors to future careers. That's the power of STEM identity. Students don't just discover what technology can do. They begin to believe in what THEY can do. As education evolves alongside artificial intelligence, SmartLab is helping schools create dynamic learning environments where every student can discover their potential, develop future-ready skills and see themselves as someone who belongs in shaping tomorrow. Because the future belongs to students who believe they have a place in creating it. Listen to the conversation: hubs.la/Q04BtKqH0 #STEMIdentity #STEMEducation #ProjectBasedLearning #FutureReady

Connect with SmartLab Regional Sales Manager Kelley Fitzsimmons at the 2026 Schools of the Future Conference in Honolulu, HI on October 20-21, and join a conversation about one of the most important opportunities in K–12 education: helping every student develop a strong STEM Identity. The future of STEM education begins with something more powerful than technology: a student’s belief in what they are capable of becoming. At SmartLab, STEM Identity is a learner’s self-belief that “I belong, I can master rigorous challenges, and my ideas have impact.” When students develop that belief, they begin to see challenges differently, recognize the value of their ideas, and imagine new possibilities for their futures. That belief is at the heart of the SmartLab integrated STEM ecosystem, where hands-on, project-based learning connects classroom experiences to real-world applications and future careers. Students have meaningful opportunities to create, collaborate, solve problems, persevere through challenges, and experience the ah-HA! moments that build confidence, agency, and a sense of belonging. And they’re developing far more than STEM knowledge. Through authentic, career-connected learning, students strengthen critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, adaptability, AI literacy, and the durable skills they’ll need to navigate an evolving world and help shape what comes next. If you’ll be at the 2026 Schools of the Future Conference in Honolulu, HI, connect with Kelley Fitzsimmons to explore what becomes possible when we design learning around not only what students need to know, but who they can become. Discover how SmartLab is helping schools create future-ready learning environments where more students can confidently say: I belong here. I can do this. I add value. I’m future ready. Learn more and connect with us: hubs.la/Q04BtKpK0 #SmartLab #STEMIdentity #STEMEducation #PBL #CareerConnectedLearning #FutureReady

What if every student believed: I belong here. I can master rigorous challenges. My ideas make an impact. That belief is at the heart of a strong STEM Identity. On Friday, November 6, schools, businesses, and communities across the country will come together for the 2nd Annual SmartLab STEM Identity Day, a national celebration dedicated to helping students recognize their potential and see themselves in the future of STEM. Preparing students for the future is about more than introducing them to STEM careers. It’s about helping young people see what’s possible for themselves.   When business leaders, entrepreneurs and community professionals step into schools and share their own journeys, students begin to see how STEM connects to the real world. They discover careers they may never have considered, meet people who once had questions and challenges just like theirs, and start to imagine the role they could play in shaping what comes next. As SmartLab CEO Dr. Jennifer Berry shares in our new STEM Identity Day video, investing in young people is an investment in both our future workforce and the future of our communities. This November 6, we’re inviting you to be part of that investment. Schools can host a STEM Identity Day experience. Businesses and organizations can partner with a local school. Professionals and community leaders can share their career journeys with students. STEM is for everyone. Let’s help every student believe it. Watch the new STEM Identity Day video and learn how to participate: hubs.la/Q04BtKkS0 Read the announcement: SmartLab STEM Identity Day Returns November 6, 2026 to Connect Students With Future Possibilities hubs.la/Q04BtKk80) #STEMIdentityDay #STEMIdentity #STEMEducation #CareerConnectedLearning #FutureReady #SmartLab

The future belongs to learners who know how to think, adapt, collaborate, and lead. hubs.la/Q04Bszr70 In an AI-powered world, preparing students for the future is about far more than teaching them how to use the latest technology. It’s about developing the durable, uniquely human skills that technology cannot replace. In a powerful new episode of Powered by Learning, Dr. Jennifer Berry, CEO of SmartLab, joins host Christine Kurtz and the team at Da Vinci Interactive to explore how we can prepare students not simply to use AI, but to lead in an AI-powered world rather than be led by it. Dr. Berry shares why communication, collaboration, critical thinking, computational thinking, and systems thinking are becoming even more important as technology rapidly evolves. She also explores the role of productive struggle, and why giving students opportunities to wrestle with problems, experience failure, revise their thinking, and try again helps them build confidence and resilience. At the heart of the conversation is STEM Identity: helping learners develop the belief that they belong, they can master rigorous challenges, and their ideas have value and impact. And the message isn't just for students. Dr. Berry shares powerful lessons for educators, business leaders, and professionals navigating AI themselves: embrace new tools, continue learning, make room for productive struggle, and focus on the higher-order thinking and human capabilities that allow us to innovate, recognize patterns, and solve problems in new ways. The goal isn't to compete with technology. It’s to develop the human skills that allow us to use technology with purpose, creativity, and confidence. Listen to this inspiring conversation and discover why investing in young people today is one of the most important investments we can make in the workforce of tomorrow. Listen to the full episode: hubs.la/Q04Bszr70 #STEMEducation #STEMIdentity #FutureReady #ArtificialIntelligence #WorkforceReadiness

Great STEM learning begins with empowered educators. hubs.la/Q04Bsz0b0 And today, we’re celebrating the platform designed to support them. We’re proud to announce that SmartLab® Spot has been named a winner of the Tech & Learning Awards of Excellence: Back to School 2026 in the Primary Education category! Tech & Learning’s judges recognized Spot for bringing curriculum access, training, support, and community resources together in one easy-to-navigate platform, helping reduce friction and making it easier for Facilitators to get what they need faster. SmartLab Spot was built around an important belief: the educators creating powerful STEM experiences for students deserve an equally powerful system of support. Through Community, the Help Center, Academy, Announcements, LearningHub access, and support, SmartLab Spot gives SmartLab Certified Facilitators a connected place to continue their professional learning, find answers, share ideas, access resources, and connect with the larger SmartLab community. As Dr. Jennifer Berry, CEO of SmartLab, shared: “We are honored to receive the Tech & Learning Award of Excellence: Back to School 2026 for SmartLab Spot. Great STEM learning requires more than curriculum and technology. It requires empowered educators who have the resources, training, community, and support to bring those experiences to life. SmartLab Spot reflects our commitment to supporting educators so they can inspire students to see what they are capable of achieving.” And Kristin Whalen, VP of Product & Experience at SmartLab, beautifully captures why supporting Facilitators matters: “Facilitators are the keystone species of the SmartLab ecosystem. When they're supported, everything around them thrives: learners feel they belong, ah-HA! moments multiply, and students build the STEM identity that makes them future ready. SmartLab Spot was built to give them exactly that support: curriculum, training, resources, and community, all in one place.” This award belongs to the people at the heart of the SmartLab experience: our incredible Facilitators and teams who support them. When educators have the tools, professional learning, resources, community, and support they need to thrive, they can create the kinds of experiences that help students build confidence, strengthen their STEM Identity, and discover what they are capable of achieving. We’re honored to have SmartLab Spot recognized by Tech & Learning and excited to keep building an integrated K–12 STEM ecosystem that inspires students, empowers educators, and expands access to career-connected STEM learning. Learn more: hubs.la/Q04Bsz0b0 #STEMEducation #STEMIdentity #EdTech #ProfessionalLearning #CareerConnectedLearning

What if every student believed: I belong here. I can master rigorous challenges. My ideas make an impact. That belief is at the heart of a strong STEM Identity. On Friday, November 6, schools, businesses, and communities across the country will come together for the 2nd Annual SmartLab STEM Identity Day, a national celebration dedicated to helping students recognize their potential and see themselves in the future of STEM. Preparing students for the future is about more than introducing them to STEM careers. It’s about helping young people see what’s possible for themselves.   When business leaders, entrepreneurs and community professionals step into schools and share their own journeys, students begin to see how STEM connects to the real world. They discover careers they may never have considered, meet people who once had questions and challenges just like theirs, and start to imagine the role they could play in shaping what comes next. As SmartLab CEO Dr. Jennifer Berry shares in our new STEM Identity Day video, investing in young people is an investment in both our future workforce and the future of our communities. This November 6, we’re inviting you to be part of that investment. Schools can host a STEM Identity Day experience. Businesses and organizations can partner with a local school. Professionals and community leaders can share their career journeys with students. STEM is for everyone. Let’s help every student believe it. Watch the new STEM Identity Day video and learn how to participate: hubs.la/Q04BnRgB0 Read the announcement: SmartLab STEM Identity Day Returns November 6, 2026 to Connect Students With Future Possibilities hubs.la/Q04BnRrB0) #STEMIdentityDay #STEMIdentity #STEMEducation #CareerConnectedLearning #FutureReady #SmartLab

What if every student believed they had a place in shaping the future? The future of STEM isn't just about what students know. It's about what they believe they're capable of becoming. hubs.la/Q04Bsdxx0 At SmartLab, STEM identity is a learner's self-belief that: • I belong: I see myself as someone who belongs in STEM and has a place in the learning experience. • I can master rigorous challenges: I have the confidence to tackle difficult problems, persevere, learn through iteration and continue growing. • My ideas have impact: I recognize that my thinking, creativity and contributions have value and can make a difference. These three beliefs can change everything. When students develop a strong STEM identity, they begin to see challenges as opportunities, setbacks as part of learning and their own ideas as something worth pursuing. Read the blog: hubs.la/Q04Bsdxx0 And on Nov. 6, 2026, we're bringing these beliefs to life through SmartLab STEM Identity Day! This national initiative brings schools, businesses, professionals and communities together to help students see the connection between what they're learning today and what they could become tomorrow. Whether you host an experience at your school, partner with a local classroom or volunteer to share your career journey, you can help a student discover that they belong, they are capable and their ideas matter. Because sometimes, all it takes is one experience, one conversation or one ah-HA! moment to change how a student sees their future. STEM is for everyone. Let's help every student believe it. Join us for SmartLab STEM Identity Day on Nov. 6! Learn how to host, volunteer or get involved: hubs.la/Q04BsdvR0 #STEMIdentityDay #STEMIdentity #FutureReady #SmartLab

What if every student believed: I belong here. I can master rigorous challenges. My ideas make an impact. That belief is at the heart of a strong STEM Identity. On Friday, November 6, schools, businesses, and communities across the country will come together for the 2nd Annual SmartLab STEM Identity Day, a national celebration dedicated to helping students recognize their potential and see themselves in the future of STEM. Preparing students for the future is about more than introducing them to STEM careers. It’s about helping young people see what’s possible for themselves.   When business leaders, entrepreneurs and community professionals step into schools and share their own journeys, students begin to see how STEM connects to the real world. They discover careers they may never have considered, meet people who once had questions and challenges just like theirs, and start to imagine the role they could play in shaping what comes next. As SmartLab CEO Dr. Jennifer Berry shares in our new STEM Identity Day video, investing in young people is an investment in both our future workforce and the future of our communities. This November 6, we’re inviting you to be part of that investment. Schools can host a STEM Identity Day experience. Businesses and organizations can partner with a local school. Professionals and community leaders can share their career journeys with students. STEM is for everyone. Let’s help every student believe it. Watch the new STEM Identity Day video and learn how to participate: hubs.la/Q04BgjKX0 Read the announcement: SmartLab STEM Identity Day Returns November 6, 2026 to Connect Students With Future Possibilities hubs.la/Q04BgjSV0) #STEMIdentityDay #STEMIdentity #STEMEducation #CareerConnectedLearning #FutureReady #SmartLab

Connect with SmartLab Director of Sales Patrick Dugan and Growth Partner Maddie Ramirez at the 2026 NEASS Conference in New Castle, NH on October 14-16, and join a conversation about one of the most important opportunities in K–12 education: helping every student develop a strong STEM Identity. The future of STEM education begins with something more powerful than technology: a student’s belief in what they are capable of becoming. At SmartLab, STEM Identity is a learner’s self-belief that “I belong, I can master rigorous challenges, and my ideas have impact.” When students develop that belief, they begin to see challenges differently, recognize the value of their ideas, and imagine new possibilities for their futures. That belief is at the heart of the SmartLab integrated STEM ecosystem, where hands-on, project-based learning connects classroom experiences to real-world applications and future careers. Students have meaningful opportunities to create, collaborate, solve problems, persevere through challenges, and experience the ah-HA! moments that build confidence, agency, and a sense of belonging. And they’re developing far more than STEM knowledge. Through authentic, career-connected learning, students strengthen critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, adaptability, AI literacy, and the durable skills they’ll need to navigate an evolving world and help shape what comes next. If you’ll be at the 2026 NEASS Conference, connect with Patrick Dugan and Maddie Ramirez to explore what becomes possible when we design learning around not only what students need to know, but who they can become. Discover how SmartLab is helping schools create future-ready learning environments where more students can confidently say: I belong here. I can do this. I add value. I’m future ready. Learn more and connect with us: hubs.la/Q04BgtVD0 #SmartLab #STEMIdentity #STEMEducation #PBL #CareerConnectedLearning #FutureReady

The most powerful learning happens when students can recognize their own growth, reflect on their discoveries, and confidently share what they know. hubs.la/Q04BgsPG0 In a SmartLab, learning is about more than completing a project or finding the right answer. It's about empowering students to take ownership of their learning, understand their progress, and discover what they're truly capable of achieving. Through hands-on, project-based STEM learning, students are encouraged to ask meaningful questions, document their thinking, reflect on challenges, and celebrate breakthroughs. Every reflection becomes an opportunity to build confidence, strengthen critical thinking, and develop the self-awareness needed to become independent, lifelong learners. When students can explain not just WHAT they learned, but HOW they learned it, something remarkable happens. They begin to see themselves as capable problem-solvers, creative thinkers, and active participants in shaping their own futures. This blog explores how effective questioning, thoughtful scaffolding, and metacognition help educators make learning visible while giving students a greater voice in their own progress. Because the ultimate goal isn't simply to measure what students know. It's to empower them to recognize how much they're capable of learning, growing, and achieving. Read the full blog and discover practical strategies for making student thinking visible and empowering learners to take ownership of their growth. hubs.la/Q04BgsPG0 #STEMEducation #ProjectBasedLearning #StudentCenteredLearning #FormativeAssessment #FutureReadySkills

What if every student believed: I belong here. I can master rigorous challenges. My ideas make an impact. That belief is at the heart of a strong STEM Identity. On Friday, November 6, schools, businesses, and communities across the country will come together for the 2nd Annual SmartLab STEM Identity Day, a national celebration dedicated to helping students recognize their potential and see themselves in the future of STEM. Preparing students for the future is about more than introducing them to STEM careers. It’s about helping young people see what’s possible for themselves.   When business leaders, entrepreneurs and community professionals step into schools and share their own journeys, students begin to see how STEM connects to the real world. They discover careers they may never have considered, meet people who once had questions and challenges just like theirs, and start to imagine the role they could play in shaping what comes next. As SmartLab CEO Dr. Jennifer Berry shares in our new STEM Identity Day video, investing in young people is an investment in both our future workforce and the future of our communities. This November 6, we’re inviting you to be part of that investment. Schools can host a STEM Identity Day experience. Businesses and organizations can partner with a local school. Professionals and community leaders can share their career journeys with students. STEM is for everyone. Let’s help every student believe it. Watch the new STEM Identity Day video and learn how to participate: hubs.la/Q04BgtqM0 Read the announcement: SmartLab STEM Identity Day Returns November 6, 2026 to Connect Students With Future Possibilities hubs.la/Q04BgtqN0) #STEMIdentityDay #STEMIdentity #STEMEducation #CareerConnectedLearning #FutureReady #SmartLab

The future of education starts with what students believe is possible. SmartLab CEO Dr. Jennifer Berry is in New York City for EDTECH WEEK 2026 and the StartEd CEO Summit, Oct. 13-15, joining education innovators, business leaders and changemakers who are reimagining how learning prepares students for the future. As artificial intelligence transforms the world around us, one question matters more than ever: How do we prepare students not just for the future of work, but to become confident creators, problem-solvers and leaders who will shape it? At SmartLab, that future begins with STEM identity. When students believe “I belong. I can master rigorous challenges. My ideas make an impact,” they begin to see themselves differently. They discover their strengths, embrace challenges and recognize that their ideas have the power to make a difference. Through immersive, hands-on, project-based learning, SmartLab transforms K-12 classrooms into dynamic environments where curiosity becomes discovery and learning connects to real-world careers. Students collaborate, think critically, experiment, design and solve meaningful problems while building the durable skills and confidence needed to thrive in an AI-powered world. And those experiences do more than prepare students for careers. They help students imagine futures they may never have considered possible. Attending EDTECH WEEK or the CEO Summit? Let's connect! Discover how SmartLab is advancing STEM education, empowering students to see what's possible and helping schools create learning experiences that prepare young people for whatever comes next. Learn more: hubs.la/Q04BfWWz0 #EDTECHWEEK #StartEdCEOSummit #SmartLab #STEMIdentity #FutureOfLearning #EducationInnovation #ProjectBasedLearning #CareerConnectedLearning #FutureReady

Connect with SmartLab Regional Sales Manager John Spičko at the 2026 Tri-State STEM Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio on October 15th, and join a conversation about one of the most important opportunities in K–12 education: helping every student develop a strong STEM Identity. The future of STEM education begins with something more powerful than technology: a student’s belief in what they are capable of becoming. At SmartLab, STEM Identity is a learner’s self-belief that “I belong, I can master rigorous challenges, and my ideas have impact.” When students develop that belief, they begin to see challenges differently, recognize the value of their ideas, and imagine new possibilities for their futures. That belief is at the heart of the SmartLab integrated STEM ecosystem, where hands-on, project-based learning connects classroom experiences to real-world applications and future careers. Students have meaningful opportunities to create, collaborate, solve problems, persevere through challenges, and experience the ah-HA! moments that build confidence, agency, and a sense of belonging. And they’re developing far more than STEM knowledge. Through authentic, career-connected learning, students strengthen critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, adaptability, AI literacy, and the durable skills they’ll need to navigate an evolving world and help shape what comes next. If you’ll be at the 2026 Tri-State STEM Conference in Ohio, connect with John Spičko to explore what becomes possible when we design learning around not only what students need to know, but who they can become. Discover how SmartLab is helping schools create future-ready learning environments where more students can confidently say: I belong here. I can do this. I add value. I’m future ready. Learn more and connect with us: hubs.la/Q04B7ZDR0 #SmartLab #STEMIdentity #STEMEducation #PBL #CareerConnectedLearning #FutureReady

Great STEM learning begins with empowered educators. hubs.la/Q04B7Gff0 And today, we’re celebrating the platform designed to support them. We’re proud to announce that SmartLab® Spot has been named a winner of the Tech & Learning Awards of Excellence: Back to School 2026 in the Primary Education category! Tech & Learning’s judges recognized Spot for bringing curriculum access, training, support, and community resources together in one easy-to-navigate platform, helping reduce friction and making it easier for Facilitators to get what they need faster. SmartLab Spot was built around an important belief: the educators creating powerful STEM experiences for students deserve an equally powerful system of support. Through Community, the Help Center, Academy, Announcements, LearningHub access, and support, SmartLab Spot gives SmartLab Certified Facilitators a connected place to continue their professional learning, find answers, share ideas, access resources, and connect with the larger SmartLab community. As Dr. Jennifer Berry, CEO of SmartLab, shared: “We are honored to receive the Tech & Learning Award of Excellence: Back to School 2026 for SmartLab Spot. Great STEM learning requires more than curriculum and technology. It requires empowered educators who have the resources, training, community, and support to bring those experiences to life. SmartLab Spot reflects our commitment to supporting educators so they can inspire students to see what they are capable of achieving.” And Kristin Whalen, VP of Product & Experience at SmartLab, beautifully captures why supporting Facilitators matters: “Facilitators are the keystone species of the SmartLab ecosystem. When they're supported, everything around them thrives: learners feel they belong, ah-HA! moments multiply, and students build the STEM identity that makes them future ready. SmartLab Spot was built to give them exactly that support: curriculum, training, resources, and community, all in one place.” This award belongs to the people at the heart of the SmartLab experience: our incredible Facilitators and teams who support them. When educators have the tools, professional learning, resources, community, and support they need to thrive, they can create the kinds of experiences that help students build confidence, strengthen their STEM Identity, and discover what they are capable of achieving. We’re honored to have SmartLab Spot recognized by Tech & Learning and excited to keep building an integrated K–12 STEM ecosystem that inspires students, empowers educators, and expands access to career-connected STEM learning. Learn more: hubs.la/Q04B7Gff0 #STEMEducation #STEMIdentity #EdTech #ProfessionalLearning #CareerConnectedLearning

Some of the most powerful innovations begin with a simple idea: technology can make opportunity more accessible. During National Hispanic Heritage Month, SmartLab celebrates Luis von Ahn, the Guatemalan-born computer scientist and entrepreneur whose work has transformed how millions of people interact with technology and access education. Growing up in Guatemala City, von Ahn developed an early fascination with computers, mathematics, and programming. He went on to earn a Ph.D. in computer science from Carnegie Mellon University and became a pioneer in human computation and crowdsourcing, exploring innovative ways for people and computers to work together to solve problems. His groundbreaking work includes reCAPTCHA, technology that helped distinguish humans from automated programs while contributing to the digitization of books. He later co-founded Duolingo, bringing technology, learning, and accessibility together to make language education available to people around the world. Von Ahn’s journey demonstrates what can happen when curiosity, creativity, computer science, and problem-solving come together with a meaningful purpose. His work is also a powerful example for students of how STEM skills can be used not simply to build new technology, but to address real-world challenges and expand opportunities for others. At SmartLab, we want students to experience that same sense of possibility. Through hands-on, career-connected learning, students can explore technology, develop their ideas, solve authentic problems, and strengthen their STEM Identity: I belong here. I can do this. I add value. I’m future ready. This National Hispanic Heritage Month, we celebrate Luis von Ahn and the Hispanic innovators whose ideas remind the next generation that technology can be a powerful tool for creating, connecting, and making an impact. #HispanicHeritageMonth #STEMIdentity #ComputerScience #STEMEducation

Connect with SmartLab Regional Sales Manager John Spičko at the 2026 Tri-State STEM Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio on October 15th, and join a conversation about one of the most important opportunities in K–12 education: helping every student develop a strong STEM Identity. The future of STEM education begins with something more powerful than technology: a student’s belief in what they are capable of becoming. At SmartLab, STEM Identity is a learner’s self-belief that “I belong, I can master rigorous challenges, and my ideas have impact.” When students develop that belief, they begin to see challenges differently, recognize the value of their ideas, and imagine new possibilities for their futures. That belief is at the heart of the SmartLab integrated STEM ecosystem, where hands-on, project-based learning connects classroom experiences to real-world applications and future careers. Students have meaningful opportunities to create, collaborate, solve problems, persevere through challenges, and experience the ah-HA! moments that build confidence, agency, and a sense of belonging. And they’re developing far more than STEM knowledge. Through authentic, career-connected learning, students strengthen critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, adaptability, AI literacy, and the durable skills they’ll need to navigate an evolving world and help shape what comes next. If you’ll be at the 2026 Tri-State STEM Conference in Ohio, connect with John Spičko to explore what becomes possible when we design learning around not only what students need to know, but who they can become. Discover how SmartLab is helping schools create future-ready learning environments where more students can confidently say: I belong here. I can do this. I add value. I’m future ready. Learn more and connect with us: hubs.la/Q04B7ZcC0 #SmartLab #STEMIdentity #STEMEducation #PBL #CareerConnectedLearning #FutureReady