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Photo by Erica Techo.
Students in a Life Labs workshop write kind notes and sort toys to donate.
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Photo courtesy of Noelle Ward.
Pizitz Middle School students participate in a Life Labs workshop.
Vestavia students will once again have the opportunity to learn a different sort of social studies this year.
Life Labs, workshops that are geared toward soft skills not typically taught in the classroom, will start back at Vestavia Hills schools the week after Labor Day. Life Labs is confirmed at Cahaba Heights, East and West elementary schools as of press time. The workshops are one hour a week, and focus on instilling lifelong habits that can later help with cultivating relationships and obtaining employment, said founder and Vestavia Hills resident Noelle Ward.
“The whole goal of this was to help people be more successful in their careers and as employees down the road,” Ward said.
Workshops take place after school, and Ward said a goal of Life Labs is for teachers to be able to tell which students are participating in Life Labs. Topics, such as communication, thank you note writing and study habits, are taught to all grade levels, but Ward said workshops will focus on different elements with different ages.
“Their communication skills are going to be very different in second grade than they are in middle school,” Ward said.
Each year, Life Labs workshops will provide lessons and skills that students can build on in the next year of Life Labs or even later on in life, Ward said. Teaching younger children these skills is helpful, she added, because elementary and middle school students can be more receptive than older children.
“At the younger age, they’re just so much more moldable and willing to hear these things,” she said.
Life Labs workshops will be offered throughout the school year, but they are paid for on a monthly basis. Ward said this allows for flexibility for students and families, and it allows them to work around sports schedules, after-school activities or other programs.
One month of Life Labs workshops, or four classes, is $50. For more information on schools that will host Life Labs, or to register, visit thelifelabs.net.
