At CSAS, the VW eLab is helping students build confidence, take ownership of their learning, and show teachers what they can do when given the opportunity to create.

After visiting the lab for the first time in years, a longtime fifth grade teacher was inspired to take a student team to Science Olympiad for the first time, with support from the VW eLab Specialist. Students completed all of the project work themselves and placed in the top three in all but one category they entered. Just as meaningful was the change afterward: students showed greater confidence in themselves and their abilities.

That success helped spark interest among other teachers. Teachers who had never used the VW eLab are now booking time and discovering new sides of their students. They are seeing stronger engagement, positive changes in behavior, and students willingly taking their work further.

Sometimes, the impact is captured in a single moment. While the Specialist quietly watched a sixth grader work on a design, the student paused and said, “Let me explain my thinking.” He clearly explained what he was doing and why. After spending much of the year learning in the VW eLab, he was developing more than design skills. He had the confidence and language to make his thinking visible.