CurioLab501(c)(3) nonprofit
A place for curiosity to grow.To learn to build, and to make something that matters.
CurioLab is a multi-semester engineering program for students in grades 6–12. With continuous university mentorship, real tools and labs, and increasingly ambitious projects, students learn to design, build, and program—developing the skills and independence to turn their own ideas into reality.
Build log // since Explorer tier
127 commits
Every student commits from their first project. By the time they apply to college, the history is real — and anyone can see it.
The CurioLab Ladder
Every student starts as an Explorer and advances on demonstrated output. Each rung has someone above to learn from and, eventually, someone below to teach.
SEMESTER 1-2
Explorer
Learn foundational programming and engineering concepts.Focused on understanding and practice to consolidate skills.
GainsComplete small checkpoint projects, and learn from personal mentor throughout the program.
SEMESTER 3-4
Builder
Chooses a practical project and builds independently, with weekly mentor support.
GainsFull ownership of a complete project and a portfolio-ready artifact.
multi-semester commitment
Innovator
Develop a real solution to a chosen community problem — deployed, or entered in an external competition.
GainsExperience the full product development cycle, from ideation to deployment, and gain real-world experience in problem-solving and innovation.
What students built
Projects students designed, prototyped, and got working, with their mentors.
Alarm Clock
A digital alarm clock with timer and alarm + snooze functionality.
Skills gained
Reading button inputs and real-time logic in Arduino, controlling a buzzer output, and working with an LCD display to show the current time and alarm state.
Pomodoro Timer
A physical timer that runs a Pomodoro-style focus schedule, alternating work and break intervals for study sessions.
Skills gained
Programming timed states and countdowns in C++, driving an LCD display to show live status, and designing a simple, clear physical interface.
Mini Digital Piano
A small playable piano with physical keys that produce different musical notes through a buzzer.
Skills gained
Generating tones at specific frequencies in Arduino C++, reading multiple button inputs at once, and designing a compact key layout in CAD.
Electronic Safe
A 3D-modeled safe enclosure with a working locking mechanism and passcode entry, built piece by piece from the circuit to the CAD model.
Skills gained
Constructing individual mechanical parts — the locking mechanism, enclosure, and keypad housing — based on a CAD model, and writing the passcode logic in Arduino C++.
Robotic Car
A remote-controlled car students wired and programmed to drive forward and backward on command.
Skills gained
Motor control and driver circuits, receiving and interpreting remote signals, and debugging real hardware behavior in real time.
High-Power LED Lighting Controller
A controller that drives high-power LED lighting with adjustable brightness, switching real power loads safely.
Skills gained
Switching high-power loads with a MOSFET, dimming with PWM, and learning the basics of power electronics and LED driving.
Robot Desk Buddy
A small desktop companion robot that reacts to its surroundings with movement and simple expressions.
Skills gained
Driving servo motors for movement, reading sensor input, and showing status on an LCD display, all housed in a custom CAD enclosure.
In their own words
Experiences from current students
"Before this, I'd never written a line of code. Now I have a working alarm clock I built myself, and I actually understand how it works."
Maya R., Explorer-tier student
"My mentor didn't just help me fix bugs — she helped me figure out what to build in the first place. That's the part school never taught me."
Jordan T., Builder-tier student
"I went from a random idea to something people in my community actually use. Now I'm mentoring an Explorer through the same thing."
Sam K., Innovator-tier student
Growth that continues
CurioLab brings young people and university students into one long-term cycle of mentorship, responsibility, and growth.
01
Young people discover what they can become
Students do more than complete a project. With continuous mentorship, they develop technical ability, confidence, and independence over multiple semesters, often reaching further than they initially believed they could.
02
University fellows grow by building something real
University students take meaningful roles in mentorship, operations, and chapter leadership. They develop their own strengths by supporting younger students, solving real organizational challenges, and gradually taking responsibility for growing the program.
03
A network built to multiply opportunity
Our vision is a chapter-based organization spanning universities and communities. Each chapter develops new engineers, mentors, and leaders, who then create the same opportunities for those who come after them.
Want to get involved as a funder, a school, or a family? See how to partner with CurioLab →
Fall 2026 Cohort · Applications Open
Ready to see what your student could build?
Applications for the Fall 2026 cohort are open now. No experience required — just curiosity.