The Jazz Lab™ Mobile Pilot, powered by Battelle, offers elementary and middle school students an innovative out-of-school STEM experience through the lens of music. Designed for communities with limited STEM access, Jazz Lab™ sparks wonder and discovery through hands-on activities that reveal the patterns and connections between music, science, and the world.
Whether through live jazz performances (arts), music-inspired physics stations (science), pattern-making with synths (math), virtual reality (tech), or 3D printed instrument assembly (engineering), Jazz Lab™ Mobile challenges students to expand their horizons and discover new possibilities. Our bold interdisciplinary approach engages multiple learning styles and meets children where they are, ensuring accessibility and inclusion for all learning levels.
Rooted in cultural appreciation, Jazz Lab™ Mobile fosters essential 21st-century skills and social-emotional growth, preparing students for future opportunities while exposing them to the rich heritage and vibrant world of jazz. Through Jazz Lab™, students gain the tools and confidence to think creatively, collaborate effectively, adapt quickly, and take risks to build resilience.
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Session One
SOUND SCIENCE
Every Jazz Lab™ engagement begins and ends with live music, setting the stage for an exciting learning experience! In this first session, our Jazz Lab Techs (JLTs) dive into sound science—exploring vibration, pitch, frequency, resonance, and timbre through a guided look at instrument anatomy. This is followed by hands-on STEM activities, culminating in a fun, movement-based activity where they organize sounds and rhythms together.
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Session Two
WAVE FORMS & SYNTHESIZERS
After a brief recap of Session One, JLTs are introduced to waveforms and synthesized sounds in this engaging, interactive session. Our Jazz Lab™ Sound Engineer explains fundamental electronic concepts like ADSR, envelopes, oscillators, and filters. The JLTs then break into groups to explore patterns on Roland S-1 synthesizers and share their creations with the group.
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Session Three
VIRTUAL REALITY
In this session, students bridge the physical and virtual worlds of sound. In partnership with COSI VR Education, Jazz Lab™ Techs rotate through various stations—exploring VR artifacts, experiencing a curated virtual jazz jam session featuring professional musicians, and experimenting with instruments and music-making on a cosmic stage.
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Session Four
3D INSTRUMENT ASSEMBLY
In the final session, students unleash their inner engineers! Each JLT receives a Jazz Lab™ Portable Innovation Lab (PIL) powered by Battelle—a unique STEM product co-created by A Tribe for Jazz and the PAST Foundation. Guided by educators, JLTs construct and customize their own instruments using 3D-printed materials. This hands-on activity fosters problem-solving, teamwork, creativity, and resilience, marking the culmination of their journey.
Our Vision
To be the global leader in Jazz + STEM education, inspiring a generation of curious, creative, and collaborative thinkers who see the world as a web of interconnected possibilities. Through the transformative power of music and hands-on STEM exploration, we aim to bridge cultural divides, spark lifelong learning, and empower future innovators and changemakers.
Our Partners
“A Tribe for Jazz is taking an innovative approach to recruiting historically underrepresented groups to the STEM talent pool, while inspiring younger generations’ interest in the cultural phenomenon that is jazz music.”
— U.S. Representative Joyce Beatty
Behind the Scenes
Creating the Jazz Lab VR Experience with COSI
Jazz Lab™ Mobile Pilot News
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Pilot program in city schools explores jazz, STEM education connection
The Columbus Dispatch
Both STEM education and involvement in the arts support the social and emotional learning needs of students equipping them with skills such as collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving.
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Virtual reality inspires youth through music and STEM
Spectrum News
Arts and the sciences don’t always go hand-in-hand, but one after-school program is merging the two to inspire the next generation of innovators.
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A Tribe for Jazz and COSI Break New Ground with Mobile Jazz Lab Pilot Program
PR Undergeround
A Tribe for Jazz and COSI Partner to Launch Jazz Lab™ Mobile Pilot Program, Fusing Jazz Music, STEM, and VR for an Innovative Student Learning Experience.
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Mobile Jazz Lab™ Program to Revolutionize After-School Learning for Columbus Students
PR Underground
Hands-on Learning Experience Integrates Jazz, Science, and Technology Through Innovative Sessions on Sound Physics, Virtual Reality, and Portable Innovation Labs
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A Tribe for Jazz Launches Innovative Educational Pilot through Mobile Jazz Lab Program
PR Underground
One-of-a-kind pilot program combines Jazz and STEM for after-school students in Columbus City Schools, with support from the Battelle Central Ohio STEM Grant.
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A Tribe for Jazz Awarded Battelle Central Ohio STEM Grant for Groundbreaking Jazz Lab Mobile Pilot
PR Underground
Innovating Education: Integrating Jazz with STEM in Partnership with Columbus Recreation and Parks, COSI, and the PAST Foundation
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Battelle Sets New Funding Record with 2024 STEM Education Grants for Innovative Central Ohio Programs
Battelle
As a leading nonprofit philanthropic organization, Battelle dedicates a significant portion of its resources to STEM initiatives to equip students with the necessary skills to become future leaders and innovators.
Innovation Statement
Research shows that jazz music plays a vital role in fostering creative thinking and problem-solving in everyday life. Studies also highlight the cognitive and developmental benefits of music, especially when integrated with STEM education. Most importantly, the Jazz Lab Mobile Pilot also leads with equity to ensure that all students have the opportunity to experience STEM in a fresh and engaging way. We have worked closely with our strategic partner, Azuka MuMin of AimSmart Consulting to ensure that from ideation to implementation the Jazz Lab Mobile pilot is diverse, equitable, and inclusive.
Our approach in leading with equity required us to recognize all the ways in which perspectives and practices needed to shift in order to support more equitable outcomes for students. In leading with equity, we considered all aspects of education from the delivery of content, criteria for selection of teaching artists, level of competitiveness in games, colors, etc. We were mindful of gender roles, racial stereotypes, and any aspects that ‘others’ a person or group and excludes them from bringing their authentic self to the program. These values are the cornerstones of the Jazz Lab Mobile pilot, to celebrate the history, social, and cultural diversity found in jazz and science and to inspire students to think differently between two seemingly disparate disciplines.
By incorporating music into STEM topics and leveraging cutting-edge technology like Virtual Reality (VR), along with Portable Innovation Lab kits (PILs) from the PAST Foundation, we inspire creativity, encouraging students to explore new ideas, experiment with solutions, and think innovatively. The integration of arts enhances critical thinking by helping students recognize connections between subjects through analysis, interpretation, and evaluation. Incorporating arts into STEM also improves communication skills—verbal, written, and nonverbal—which are crucial in both academic and real-world contexts.
Additionally, arts celebrate diverse perspectives, cultures, and experiences, fostering more inclusive learning environments that honor students' backgrounds and talents. In today’s fast-changing world, creativity, collaboration, and adaptability—skills nurtured by arts integration—are highly valued by employers.
From Scratch:
Creating the Jazz Lab™ Mobile Pilot Program
Collaboration is at the heart of Jazz Lab™ Mobile, guiding every step of its development. We lived out this core value through our partnerships with educators, organizations, and the community. Together, we’ve created a unique program that inspires young minds to think both creatively and critically while fostering authentic engagement around new ideas. We invite you to take a closer look at our journey bringing this wonderful educational program to life.
Further Insights
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"Why Education Investors Shouldn't Ignore Afterschool STEM"
Read the article at Forbes Magazine
Ron Ottinger -
"What Jazz Music Can Do for the Brain"
Read the article at Psychology Today
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"Creativity, Critical Thinking, Communication, and Collaboration: Assessment, Certification, and Promotion of 21st Century Skills for the Future of Work and Education"
Read the paper at the Journal of Intelligence, Branden Thornhill-Miller
