Our hands-on Discovery Lab is designed specifically with our youngest scientists and engineers in mind. Located at the SBJC Maywood Campus, the Discovery Lab is divided into six learning centers that evolve with each theme we explore. These learning centers provide students with hands-on activities that introduce the engineering design process as well as the scientific method. Students plan and carry out various investigations, make predictions, create and test solutions, and record and share their observations.

For this school year, the Discovery Lab’s themes will be divided into three units aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards. These themes are Earth and Space, Life Science, and Physical Science. Engineering topics are spread throughout all three themes.

Our Discovery Lab curricula are developed with the intent of introducing the most modern of technologies to our exploring visitors. Though our labs are always changing, we do have pieces of technology that remain in the lab year-round. These include an interactive SMART Board and SMART Table; the walking, talking, and dancing Nao Robot by Aldebaran; 3D printers; iPads loaded with apps related to our themes; and zSpace, a virtual reality desktop computer. We know that exposing students to these technologies at an early age will allow them to feel more comfortable in their STEAM endeavors later on in their studies. We also take our visits as a chance to introduce technologies to our visiting teachers, technologies that are both free and easy to implement back in their own classrooms.

Our visiting engineers work along side students of the SBJC, allowing for unique moments of collaboration and creativity to occur. Classes spend two hours exploring the lab led by Mrs. Jill Hagen.