SmartLab wins 2026 CODiE Award for best STEM instructional solution

SmartLab won the 2026 CODiE Award for Best STEM Instructional Solution on July 22, 2026, and its SmartLab Explorer product was named a Product of the Year finalist. The recognition gives the STEM education company independent validation for a career-connected model it says builds student engagement, STEM identity and future-ready skills.

Why it matters: - SmartLab’s win gives third-party recognition to a STEM model built around hands-on learning, career connections and educator support. - The award highlights growing demand for instructional tools that build both technical skills and durable skills such as collaboration, adaptability and problem-solving. - SmartLab says the model is designed to help students feel they belong in STEM and can apply those skills in future academic and career paths.

What happened: - SmartLab announced on July 22, 2026, that its career-connected learning solution won the 2026 CODiE Award for Best STEM Instructional Solution. - SmartLab Explorer was named a finalist for Product of the Year. - The company is based in Longmont, Colorado. - The CODiE Awards selected winners from 228 finalists across 75 categories.

The details: - The CODiE Awards judge entries on innovation, functionality, market impact and overall value, using an evaluation process led by independent industry experts. - SmartLab’s platform combines hands-on, project-based curriculum, industry-relevant tools and technologies, customized learning environments, facilitator professional development, learning communities, implementation support and community involvement. - The curriculum spans eight STEM applications: Engineering, Robotics, Scientific Data & Analysis, Digital Media, Environmental Science, Circuitry & Electronics, Software Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing. - Students work on career-connected projects, investigate challenges, design and test solutions, collaborate with peers and communicate their ideas. - SmartLab says the approach is built to strengthen technical knowledge and durable skills including critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, adaptability and problem-solving. - The company positions STEM identity as a learner’s belief that they belong, can master rigorous challenges and can make a meaningful contribution. - SmartLab says students move through an active learning cycle of exploring, planning, creating, reflecting and sharing. - Educators act as facilitators who guide inquiry, support collaboration and connect classroom experiences to future opportunities. - SmartLab provides educators with professional development, instructional guidance, technical assistance and ongoing partnership. - The company says its programs can be delivered through dedicated classroom setups or flexible modular systems, with standards-aligned curriculum and teacher training. - SmartLab says its model is intended to serve schools and communities. - A complete list of 2026 CODiE Award winners is available at the CODiE Awards website.

Between the lines: - The award matters because SmartLab is selling more than software or hardware; it is pitching a full instructional ecosystem. - The recognition also signals that STEM vendors are being judged on classroom impact, not just access to technology. - SmartLab’s emphasis on STEM identity reflects a broader push to keep more students engaged in STEM pathways before career decisions are made.

What's next: - SmartLab said it will continue advancing its curriculum, learning environments, professional development and support model. - The company said it will keep expanding access to career-connected STEM experiences in schools and communities. - The CODiE Awards will continue to serve as a benchmark for education and technology products that show measurable outcomes.