In Otto M. Fridia Elementary School’s innovation lab, fourth graders aren’t just playing pretend; they’re diagnosing patients, fitting casts, and discovering medical careers.
“We plan to use the lab as a part of our strategy to create an environment where curiosity drives the lesson,” Christofor Stephens, principal, said. “Students will walk in excited, and walk out talking about what they experienced. It gives them space to take risks, try new ideas, and see learning come alive in ways that are hands-on, joyful, and meaningful.”
Through a partnership with United to Learn and STEMscapes Collab & Play Spaces, the lab invites students to take on roles such as surgeon, physical therapist, receptionist, and clinic staff.
Equipped with real casts, anatomy models, stationary bikes, exam tables, X-rays, and medical supplies, it provides students with the opportunity to interact with, examine, and explore the tools of the medical field.
Students can also engage in collaborative problem-solving and communication exercises using custom lab coats, clipboards with scenarios, and a fully stocked receptionist area with phones, a cash register, and time math manipulatives.The innovation lab also serves as an early bridge into the district’s Pathways in Technology learning model. Through P-TECH, students can earn a high school diploma and up to 60 hours of college credit at no cost, providing them with a head start in medical and other STEM careers.
Fridia’s feeder pattern campus, South Oak Cliff High School, offers opportunities in technology and business, and now Fridia students have a space where they can begin developing their own unique skillsets. The lab mirrors the types of learning environments they’ll experience in high school and beyond.
The lab helps students picture themselves in roles they’ve only heard of, such as doctors, nurses, technicians, and engineers, Stephens said.
For him, as an alum of both Fridia and South Oak Cliff High School, this project is a personal one.
“By the time they get to SOC, students won’t just be familiar with STEM, they’ll be ready to thrive,” Stephens said. “We want them to build confidence, see themselves as problem-solvers, and understand that careers in health and science are not distant dreams; they’re real possibilities for their future. This is the legacy of learning that we want our Longhorns to experience.”
