Curiosity fills the Innovation Lab at Lincoln Elementary, where students bring ideas to life. Gathered around computers, they adjust digital designs that will soon emerge from a 3D printer, exchanging feedback and refining their work through lively collaboration.

Arabella, a fourth grader creating a pencil box with compartments, shared that her favorite activity is 3D printing. “I was making a habitat, but my friend Isaac was making a pencil box, and I thought that was a good idea, so I’m making one too,” she said. “I feel really proud when I finish something I worked hard on.”

That sense of ownership and creativity is central to the Innovation Lab, which is available for all students, TK through sixth grade.

“The focus in the Innovation Lab is on the design process and hands-on learning,” said Principal Dr. Kristin DeMicco. “It allows classroom teachers and our Innovation Lab teacher to collaborate on projects that connect directly to what students are learning.”

As part of their sixth-grade study of Ancient Egypt, students explored photo-editing tools to creatively portray themselves as pharaohs. After printing their designs, students returned to their classrooms to complete the artwork using oil pastels. Throughout the year, students also participate in a variety of hands-on projects, including 3D-printed Greek columns, candy corn catapults, coding and robotics challenges, and green screen video production. 

The lab also provides meaningful opportunities for diverse learners. Students with special needs, such as those in self-contained classrooms, have the opportunity to attend a weekly preview session to support their positive and successful engagement in the Innovation Lab when they join their grade level peers. During this preview session, they become familiar with the language, tools, routines, and expectations so they may actively participate alongside their general education peers. Newcomer English learner students also thrive because much of the learning is visual and hands-on. 

“We’ve seen students demonstrate strengths in the lab that may not always be visible in other parts of their school day,” Dr. DeMicco said. “The excitement on a student’s face when they figure out how to power a propeller or get a windmill to turn really says it all.”

Innovation Lab teacher Karissa Nguyen encourages both creativity and collaboration. “When students are engaged, collaborating, and solving problems together, that’s when real learning happens.” 

The lab offers younger learners multiple hands-on pathways, from LEGO marble mazes and cardboard construction to coding activities and Dash robots. After a brief overview, students work independently, exploring materials and confidently testing their ideas. 

Now in its second year, Lincoln’s Innovation Lab has become more than a weekly activity. It is a space where students of all abilities explore, create, and discover together. Whether designing a 3D model, programming a robot, or experimenting with a green screen, every student has the chance to imagine, experiment, and explore.