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East Brainerd Elementary

East Brainerd Elementary

K-5

Welcome to the EBE VW eLab! Our two dedicated specialists and two innovative learning spaces inspire every K–5 student to imagine, design, create, and grow. From engineering, robotics, and coding to media production and hands-on making, students tackle real-world challenges while building creativity, collaboration, confidence, and a lifelong love of learning.

Lab description

Grade Levels:

VW eLab Specialist 

Allison Lee and Bryan Breeding

Allison Lee and Bryan Breeding are educators at the largest elementary school in Hamilton County. They collaborate on lesson planning, co-teach, and educate over 1,200 students annually. Allison and Bryan are convinced that providing every child with high-quality, hands-on digital fabrication experiences can transform the entire school's mindset into one of wonder, courage, and curiosity.

Allison Lee and Bryan Breeding
Impact

East Brainerd Elementary's journey to becoming a Volkswagen eLab has been driven by a shared vision of providing every student with meaningful, hands-on learning opportunities. During the 2025–2026 school year, our STEM Related Arts program launched, allowing students to experience STEM for one semester. The overwhelming enthusiasm from students, staff, and our community demonstrated the value of this learning and inspired us to dream even bigger. In April 2026, East Brainerd was honored to become a Volkswagen eLab. This designation, combined with grant funding and strong community partnerships, has transformed our program from a single-semester STEM experience into a year-round innovation program serving every student in Kindergarten through fifth grade. The expansion also allowed us to grow from one specialist to two dedicated eLab educators, creating greater access to personalized instruction, collaborative teaching, and innovative learning experiences. The continued investment in our VW eLab has provided students with access to advanced technology, maker equipment, engineering design experiences, and creative problem-solving opportunities that would not have been possible otherwise. More importantly, it has established a culture where curiosity, creativity, and innovation are valued every day. As our program continues to grow, we are committed to ensuring every student has the opportunity to imagine, design, create, and make a meaningful impact on the world around them.

Project Highlights

In one of our most successful projects, fourth-grade students took on the role of structural engineers during an earthquake design unit. They researched the effects of earthquakes on buildings and then designed, built, and tested model structures. After each test, teams analyzed the outcomes, identified weaknesses, and redesigned their structures using the engineering design process. Students discovered that failure is a crucial part of innovation, developing resilience, collaboration, and critical thinking as they refined their designs. Our fifth-grade students delved into computer-aided design and additive manufacturing by creating personalized 3D-printed projects. They learned to use professional design software to turn their ideas into digital models, considering measurements, functionality, and aesthetics. They experienced the full design cycle—from brainstorming and prototyping to preparing files for 3D printing—acquiring valuable skills in design thinking, precision, and problem-solving. Our second-grade students integrated coding with computational thinking through robotics challenges. Using age-appropriate robots, they learned sequencing, debugging, and logical reasoning while completing collaborative missions linked to classroom learning. Instead of merely programming a robot to move, students learned to test solutions, identify errors, revise their code, and persist until they achieved their objectives. In every project, students were encouraged to ask questions, take creative risks, collaborate with peers, and view challenges as learning opportunities. These experiences have built confidence and equipped students with the communication, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills essential for future success.

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Hamilton County, TN   |   mstone@pefchattanooga.org  |  423.296.9403  |  @VWeLabs

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