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Oklahoma High School Students Shine in Innovative STEM Program

Written by Bill Laurienti

Inola High School, in Oklahoma, is one of the many area schools with a SmartLab sponsored by MidAmerica Industrial Park (MAIP). They recently made a great video showcasing the students’ experiences in their STEM program. Students in the video say they they’ve gained more problem-solving skills, self-discipline, trial and error experience, and are able to shine more in the SmartLab HQ than in the traditional classroom. But don’t take our word for it, watch their video.

Superintendent Dr. Kent Holbrook said that so many students signed up for the SmartLab Learning course that they had to increase it from three classes a day to five!

Todd Dixon, the SmartLab Facilitator, said both students that “are” and “are not” academically driven have  “lightbulb” moments in the SmartLab HQ. Dixon also explains that if students fail, it doesn’t matter. It only matters that the students learn from their failures. They don’t let the failure stop them from exploring, inventing and chasing ideas. No matter where the students end up, they’ve learned the process of solving problems.

Dr. Holbrook sees SmartLab Learning as being at the forefront of how we pursue education in the future.

Bill.Laurienti
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.

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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.

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