Imagine Lab

All children—and especially gifted children—love to explore their passions. The Helios Imagine Lab—affectionately referred to as the “I-Lab”—unleashes creativity and possibilities. It offers our students a hands-on opportunity to follow those passions in an unstructured space guided by their own interests.

In the I-Lab, students work with industrial odds and ends, fabrics, wood, cardboard, wire, paper, and more, using real tools such as hammers and saws, to construct projects they dream up. Over time, and with increasing skills, students have hands-on experiences with power tools, 3-D printers, sewing machines, and laser cutters.

Why is I-Lab so compelling for gifted children?

• It provides an outlet for visual-spatial thinking, which is often a learning strength in gifted students.
• Its unstructured, open-ended nature creates a “flow experience” that helps students generate even more ideas.
• Children innovate, make discoveries, problem-solve, and feel the sheer joy of creating.
• Many of the projects naturally become joint efforts, fostering teamwork and collaboration.
• Students are empowered because they own their learning.

"The I-Lab is totally awesome! You get to build stuff that you don't normally get to—even big stuff!"

Luka, Helios student