Hands-on Learning Experience Integrates Jazz, Science, and Technology Through Innovative Sessions on Sound Physics, Virtual Reality, and Portable Innovation Labs

(PRUnderground) September 17th, 2024

Starting in October, A Tribe for Jazz will launch the groundbreaking Mobile Jazz Lab Pilot Program, an after-school initiative that blends jazz, STEM, and essential 21st-century skills to inspire Columbus City Schools students and prepare the next generation of diverse innovators. Funded by the Battelle Central Ohio STEM Grant, the program will debut at Dominion Middle and World Language Middle School, the first of 10 schools to receive this innovative program.

“As our country faces a massive shortage of STEM-educated workers, it is essential to recruit diligent young people from diverse backgrounds,” says Congresswoman Joyce Beatty. “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 jazz music.”

The Mobile Jazz Lab Pilot Program offers students an immersive, interdisciplinary experience that fuses sound, science, and music in a dynamic, creative environment. Research from the National Endowment for the Arts consistently shows that students involved in arts education not only perform better academically but also develop essential STEM skills like creativity and problem-solving. By blending the cultural richness of jazz with STEM concepts, this program opens up new pathways for students to explore their creativity and unlock future possibilities.

The program features:

• Week One: Exploring the Physics and Anatomy of Instruments
• Week Two: Manipulating Sound to Create Music
• Week Three: Music in Virtual Reality in partnership with COSI VR Education
• Week Four: Portable Innovation Labs assembly; created in partnership with PAST Foundation

Students will dive fully into hands-on learning, leaving behind distractions like phones and bags. They’ll don lab coats, enter a vibrant creative environment, and participate in dynamic live jazz performances led by Jazz Lab Teaching Artists.

“With the Jazz Lab Mobile Pilot, we’re not just shaping future innovators—we’re igniting a passion for creativity and exploration. This program shows students that, like jazz, their creativity and potential are boundless. Every sound they make, every question they ask, and every challenge they face brings them closer to unlocking their limitless possibilities,” says Stephanie Matthews, Executive Director of A Tribe for Jazz.

This program is presented in partnership with Columbus Recreation and Parks – Center Without Walls, COSI, the PAST Foundation, and Graves Piano. We are currently seeking passionate volunteers to support the program. To learn more and sign up, visit: https://www.atribeforjazz.org/jazzlabvolunteer.

About A Tribe for Jazz

The mission of A Tribe for Jazz is to preserve the legacy and advance the future of jazz through visual storytelling, live and virtual performances, education, and community engagement. For more information, visit www.atribeforjazz.org. IG: @atribeforjazz_ and FB: A Tribe for Jazz.

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