What began as a weekly activity has grown into a creative outlet for students at Lincoln Elementary School, where the Innovation Lab is giving learners hands-on experience with new technology.
Located on the Newport-Mesa Unified School District campus, the lab invites students from transitional kindergarten through sixth grade to design and build their own projects using tools such as 3D printers, coding programs and digital media equipment. The space encourages experimentation and problem-solving while allowing students to turn their ideas into creations.
The Innovation Lab has also become a helpful resource for students with special needs. Weekly preview sessions give them the opportunity to explore the lab alongside their general education peers as they become familiar with the tools, language and routines that support their learning and engagement.
“We’ve seen students demonstrate strengths in the lab that may not always be visible in other parts of their school day,” Principal Kristin DeMicco said. “The excitement on a student’s face when they figure out how to power a propeller or get a windmill to turn really says it all.”
Through activities such as crafting LEGO marble mazes and building cardboard construction projects, students are building technical skills by finding new ways to express their creativity and showcase their learning beyond the lab.
Here are the other stories we’ve been following this week:
- On Jan. 22, local educators and families are invited to attend a documentary film screening — presented by Santa Ana Unified, OCDE and educational nonprofit What School Could Be — to get a full-screen look at the roles that community, purpose and opportunity play in career education pathways.
- Orange County leaders, joined by County Superintendent Dr. Stefan Bean, convened at the Be Prepared OC Summit to discuss coordinated disaster preparedness, one year after last winter’s Los Angeles wildfires.
- The OC Pathways Showcase will return on Feb. 25 to bring together industry leaders and educators as they connect with the future workforce by exploring hands-on exhibits and innovations created by Orange County high schoolers.
- The Governor’s newly-released budget proposal for 2026-27 anticipates an increase in funding for K-12 schools and community colleges despite expected long-term budget deficits.
- Community college officials are calling on the Cal State University system to approve 18 new bachelor’s degree programs, citing workforce demand and the need for expanded higher education options.
- Laguna Beach Unified School District educator Cama Stevens received the 2026 Teacher on Special Assignment Award. She’ll be officially honored this March at the Orange County Music and Arts Administrators Awards ceremony.
- The tech company OpenAI recently announced support for a ballot measure to protect children from potential risks with AI chatbots, aligning with statewide efforts to regulate artificial intelligence in spaces used by students.
- On school campuses across the country, whole milk will return to school cafeteria menus after President Trump signed a bill Wednesday — with nondairy options like fortified soy milk also available.
- The U.S. Department of Education announced investigations into four California colleges and school districts, as well as the California Community Colleges Athletics Association, alleging that policies allowing sports participation based on gender identity violate Title IX, according to the Los Angeles Times.
- The number of students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs throughout the U.S. has increased to 19.4 million — beating pre-pandemic levels — according to new data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
- From Jan. 10 to Jan. 11, local alumni from Huntington Beach and Newport Harbor high schools helped the U.S. senior national men’s water polo team score a win over Australia in their first match before falling short in the second game of their weekend event.
This is the part where we encourage you to keep up with local education news stories by bookmarking the OCDE Newsroom, subscribing for emailed updates and following us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.