Project/build work, hands-on, and specialized learning cannot be limited to a single-use space.  Critical thinking involves multiple stages of learning, including individual research, collaborative brain-storming, hands-on exploration, project creation, and reporting findings or presentation. Large, Multi-Purpose Labs are a way to integrate these activities throughout the school day. These spaces support different types of interdisciplinary exploration by providing a flexible space for messy project creation, low-intensity science labs, experiential learning and/or curricula needing specific equipment or access to water and tools.

 

BOTH Flexible AND Specialized
In its effort to create more opportunities for hands-on and specialized learning, Culver City USD is integrating Multi-Purpose Labs into the Small Learning Communities. Compared with a more traditional approach which limits these activities to a small number of highly specialized spaces—characterized by fixed equipment, limited use and high costs, Multi-Purpose Labs are designed to support a wide variety of project types and adapt easily as future demands change.