Innovation Takes Shape in Woodhull’s Innovation Lab

Woodhull’s Innovation Lab brings learning to life through hands-on exploration, creativity, collaboration, and real-world problem-solving. Sixth-grade students recently put those skills into action as they took on their first engineering design challenge: creating animal prosthetics.

Students began by exploring the engineering design process and learning how engineers use their skills to develop prosthetics that improve the lives of animals. Working in cohorts, students were challenged to design a prosthetic for one of three animals: Bob the alligator, Mosha the elephant, or Kallie the tiger.

Using the engineering design process, students asked questions, brainstormed possible solutions, developed plans, built prototypes, tested their designs, and made improvements along the way. When an idea didn’t work as planned, students learned that revising and trying again is an important part of the engineering process.

The project quickly grew beyond the walls of the Innovation Lab. Students and staff throughout Woodhull participated in a school-wide recycling drive, collecting materials that sixth graders could repurpose for their designs. Everyday items became building materials as students found creative ways to turn recycled objects into working prototypes.

Throughout the challenge, students took ownership of their learning while working together, sharing responsibilities, solving problems, and holding one another accountable. Their finished designs showcased much more than engineering skills—they reflected creativity, critical thinking, perseverance, and the power of teamwork.

“I am so excited to see this new program come to life at Woodhull,” said Principal Stephanie Campbell. “Whenever I walk into the Innovation Lab, students are buzzing with excitement and eager to share their designs and ideas. The collaboration, creativity, and teamwork are so evident, and I love seeing how proud our students are of what they are creating and accomplishing together.”

The animal prosthetics challenge is just the beginning of what students will experience in Woodhull’s Innovation Lab, where they will continue to design, create, test, collaborate, and make new discoveries through meaningful, hands-on learning experiences.