BioBuilder’s Learning Lab fosters innovation by welcoming students, teachers and community members into LabCentral’s entrepreneurial environment. The Learning Lab is a fully equipped teaching space that provides local innovators a welcoming environment for hands-on engagement with BioBuilder’s programming.
The Learning Lab is for me a unique experience for students to have a first-hand experience in exploring the beauty of building biology….An experience like this has helped me to shape my vocation at high school, and I hope this would help (other) students to find their passion, as well
Maria I., MIT Post-doctoral Fellow and Learning Lab volunteer
Address:
700 Main Street
Cambridge, MA 02139
United States
Questions? Email us at info@biobuilder.org
Find answers to frequently asked questions about BioBuilder’s Learning Lab here. Please feel free to contact us if you have other questions.
BioBuilder’s Learning Lab brings science education into a place where science is happening. We run programming for students during the school day, after-school, on weekends and during school vacations. We run programs for teachers professional development and specialty seminars and workshops for STEM professionals.
Current programming in the Learning Lab is built on BioBuilder’s open source curriculum. We offer workshops for home schooled students, teacher professional development, site visits for our BioBuilderClub, and an eight-week Apprenticeship Challenge for high school students from underserved communities.
We are also continuing and extending partnerships and site-specific work with the local community. Examples of these partnerships include our work with the Cambridge Science Festival, the Nord Anglia schools, Wuhan University, and EF tours.
Finally, we are always working on new programs since synthetic biology is an emerging field and developing innovative offerings is part of our mission.
The LabCentral Learning Lab is powered by New England Biolabs and was developed out of recognition that tomorrow’s innovation relies on exposing the next generation to why science matters today. LabCentral is Greater Boston’s premier co-working laboratory and serves as a launchpad for high-potential life-sciences startups. They opened the community-oriented STEM facility in the fall of 2017 as part of a major expansion of their Kendall Square location. It is thanks to the early vision of BioBuilder and the significant support of the lab’s primary sponsor, New England Biolabs® (NEB®), that this vision has come to life.
We have more than 1,000-square-feet of state-of-the-art classroom and laboratory space suitable for carrying out project-based design work as well as biosafety level-1 experiments.
The bulk of our programming is suitable for high school and college students and their teachers. We also offer additional programming that meets the needs of middle school students as well as feeds the curiosity of our local community residents and biotech professional education.
Teachers, homeschool groups, international visitors, and community members are invited to contact us to discuss customized programming.
The cost varies depending on the activities you would like to do in the lab, the length of time spent there, and the number of participants. Please contact us to discuss your project and request a quote.
Yes, you can contact our team to discuss possible programming for students and/or educators.
No, but teachers may receive professional development credit.
Closed-toe shoes and pants; longer hair should be pulled back. Protective equipment will be provided, but it is best to wear clothing that can withstand spills that may occur.
Will you join us?
Your support can bring life-changing STEM education to students and teachers everywhere.