Twombly Elementary celebrated the addition of the SmartLab with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Left to right: Anne Burnett (Smart Lab), Johan Van Nieuwenhuizen (Assistant Supt.), Stephanie Mehnert (Principal Twombly), RK Hancock (Twombly STEM teacher), Hannah Brennan (Smart Lab) Students cutting ribbon left to right: Violet Guzman and Preston Sant. Credit: Belen Ward

Twombly Elementary celebrated the addition of the SmartLab Learning/STEM Education Project-Based Learning with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 12. 

“I am very excited to be able to bring our students the Smart Lab experience.  I look forward to students having the opportunity to extend their learning of math and science throughout the school day,” said Stephanie Mehnert, Principal of Twombly Elementary

Johan Van Nieuwenhuizen, Interim Assistant Superintendent, said the program is a great opportunity for students, providing hands-on, project-based learning to master 21st-century skills such as teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving—all necessary for success in the modern world.

Johan Van Nieuwenhuizen, Interim Assistant Superintendent, gives a speech about the new SmartLab program. Credit: Belen Ward

Van Nieuwenhuizen said the launch of SmartLab is more than a room with technology; it’s the beginning of a new way of learning—a space where curiosity meets creativity. 

“Our kids get to explore hands-on, project-based learning challenges to think critically, solve problems, collaborate, and innovate to shape their futures as scientists, artists, or leaders in the community,” Van Nieuwenhuizen said.

Van Nieuwenhuizen said Twombly received a $170,000 grant from the Weld Trust, a great gift to bring this year. This gift is about more than dollars; it invests in believing in our kids’ potential, he said. 

“We started working with the SmartLab organization, and they made all of this happen quickly,” he said. 

Kelly Fitzsimmons, Colorado SmartLab regional sales manager, said she is excited to bring a smart lab into this school, with the help of Van Nieuwenhuizen and the Weld Trust organization.

“It’s just such a wonderful, incredible experience that I know these students will have to give them a new perspective and a new way to think about learning,” Fitzsimmons said. “Like I mentioned, it’s really turning them from consumers of information to producers of information, and giving them the opportunity to experience different industries, different careers, and occupations that they never would have thought about had they not had the chance to explore within the smart.”

RK Hancock teaches STEM to all grades; it is a specialized class at Twombly Elementary.

“I am very excited about the Smart Lab,” Hancock said. “This is my first year teaching STEM here at Twombly, and so far, I’ve been using lessons I created in my curriculum. It will be nice to have a more structured curriculum and more materials that I can use.”

“Throughout this year, I’ve engaged in a lot of science and engineering using the materials we already had at school,” Hancock said. “Now, I’ll be able to incorporate much more math and technology with the materials provided through the Smart Lab. Here are a couple of examples: I’ll go to Snap Circuits, and we’ll be able to do a lot of work with coding.”

“I want to thank you, everyone, for making this possible. We’re looking forward to using the SmartLab equipment to help our students learn more; it’s about planting seeds that will blossom for years,” Van Nieuwenhuizen said. 

After Johan Van Nieuwenhuizen, DeAnna Coink is the music conductor at Twombly Elementary as students sing the song “Whisper” by Greg Gilpin.

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