About the Spark!Lab Network
Originally opened at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in 2008, Spark!Lab is the flagship educational initiative of the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation.
Spark!Lab is a dynamic learning space where children, families, and groups can create, innovate, collaborate, problem-solve, and invent. Through hands-on activities, they learn about the invention process, inventors and inventions in American history, and innovations that are changing our world today. Most importantly, they are empowered to create their own inventions and to solve problems in their own unique ways.
Spark!Lab offers a new approach to hands-on making and learning. Visitors don’t follow step-by-step instructions or work to create a specific product. Instead, they identify problems and challenges, develop solutions, and put their own ideas into action—all while building important 21st century skills like creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, and adaptability.
The Spark!Lab Network takes this unique approach to hands-on learning beyond the Smithsonian and into educational and cultural organizations across the United States and beyond.
Benefits of Membership
A two-year membership in the Spark!Lab Network includes:
- 10 Spark!Lab activities with all start-up materials and
in-depth training guides - Comprehensive onboarding process with in-person training from Spark!Lab experts
- Opportunities to tailor activities to your museum
or community - Annual in-person visits with customized training by Spark!Lab staff
- On-call consultation services
- Access to other Network members
- Smithsonian and Spark!Lab branding and logos for signage, marketing, and more
How to Join
We are currently accepting new members. For more information about bringing Spark!Lab to your community, please contact:
Nyssa Buning
Spark!Lab Network Coordinator
BuningN@si.edu
| Spark!Lab Network Membership | Current Cost |
|---|---|
Initial two year licensing agreement | $40,000 |
Renewal fee (additional two years) | $10,000 |
Spark!Lab furniture design licensing (optional; one-time fee | $15,000 |
Current Members
Current members of the Spark!Lab Network:
Conner Prairie, Fishers, IN
Visitors to Conner Prairie invent for the future while learning about the past. Courtesy of Conner Prairie
Holland Museum, Holland, MI
Young inventors and their families enjoy creating and testing their inventions at the Spark!Lab Holland opening event. © 2018 Smithsonian Institution; photo by Nyssa Buning
Irving Archives and Museum, Irving, TX
Inventors create flying machines to test in the wind tunnel. Courtesy of Irving Archives and Museum.
Magic City Discovery Center, Minot, ND
Inventors of all ages work independently at the same table on the snap circuits activity at the Magic City Discovery Center. Photo by Laura Havel
Michigan Science Center, Detroit, MI
A young boy tests his prototype in the wind tunnel in Spark!Lab at the Michigan Science Center, Detroit, Michigan. Photo by Kate Wiley
Midland Center for the Arts, Midland, MI
Trying out a Spark!Lab activity at the Midland Center for the Arts, Midland, Michigan
Morris Museum, Morristown, NJ
Morristown inventors celebrate the opening of Spark!Lab at the Morris Museum. Courtesy of Morris Museum
Punggol Regional Library, Singapore
Inventors of all ages work to solve problems. Photo credit: The National Library Board
Springfield Museums, Springfield, MA
Everyone can be inventive at the Springfield Museums' Spark!Lab! Courtesy of Springfield Museums
Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum, Reno, NV
A mother and daughter invent a vehicle using PVC pipe and wheels in Spark!Lab at the Terry Wells Nevada Discovery Museum, Reno, Nevada. Photo by Tricia Edwards
US Space and Rocket Center, Huntsville, AL
Snap Circuits are just one of the many activities for visitors to Spark!Lab.
Testimonials and Media
“Spark!Lab has had a strong impact on our members and membership…We see repeat visitation from members because every time they visit, they see and learn something new. Our membership numbers have increased substantially since we offered this as a benefit.”
– Christy Nitsche, Director of Advancement and Community Engagement, Science City
“We feel privileged to be home to one of the Spark!Lab satellite locations. The ideas behind it are a good fit with the ideas we explore in the museum related to the North – how extreme environments support adaptation, invention, and creative problem-solving.”
– Julie Decker, Director and CEO of the Anchorage Museum
"Spark!Lab gives children and their parents new ways to explore and discover, ultimately opening their eyes to the possibilities of what they can create and achieve through the process of invention."
—Nancy Halverson, President and CEO, The Children's Museum of the Upstate