Category Archives: BLOG

Of Great Things and Sacred Spaces–A Summer 2025 NOVA Lab Update

NOVA Lab, over five years, has initiated numerous impactful projects, merging education with community service. A standout effort this year is the Joe and Zoe Trail Signage project, which offers educational signage on local ecology. This embodies the principle of Purpose Driven Learning, emphasizing meaningful, community-oriented education beyond traditional classrooms.

NOVA Lab: A Class in Flux

Since 2019, NOVA Lab has utilized Fluxspace, an innovative educational space, for project presentations and learning. The class evolved from a focus on design-thinking to more social initiatives, leading to concerns about diminishing entrepreneurial vigor. Insights from critique panels at Fluxspace prompted reflections on curriculum adjustments to restore a design-centered focus. Revisions aim to emphasize tangible outcomes, community partnerships, and enhanced student engagement.

NOVA Notable #4: Connect to Learn

The entrepreneurial mindset thrives on networking, enhancing opportunities for success. Teachers and students gain recognition through collaboration and sharing experiences, exemplified by the NOVA Lab’s partnership with Ursinus College’s entrepreneurship program. An engaging visit allowed students to present projects and receive valuable feedback, emphasizing the importance of connections and experiential learning.

NOVA Lab Notables No. 3: Lehigh Univ. Impact Fellowships

In this month’s “Notables,” appreciation is extended to Phil Holcombe for his impactful design insights and feedback that improved various projects, and to Julia Killar and Lehigh University’s Creative Inquiry program for inspiring community-focused initiatives. These contributions significantly enrich NOVA Lab’s pursuit of social innovation and meaningful impact.

NOVA Lab Notables No. 2: Events, Feedback, Alumni

The second installment of our shout outs to those who help us grow and learn takes us to the work of Aysia Woods-Drayton, and the Feedback of almost 25 different people. Let’s dive in. Aysia Woods-Drayton is familiar with the work we do in NOVA Lab. Back in 2021, Aysia spoke to NOVA Lab studentsContinue reading “NOVA Lab Notables No. 2: Events, Feedback, Alumni”

Future Deja Vu 

NOVA Lab students engaged in a 24-day project focused on futures thinking, inspired by PBS’s “A Brief History of Time.” They explored proactive community-building, envisioning achievable protopias instead of typical dystopian narratives. While reflecting on their participation, students expressed responsibility towards the future, recognizing the urgency for change amidst systemic failures. Their engagement aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, highlighting the need for visionary action.

Dialogues on What Matters–NOVA Lab and the Future of Education

When I first imagined what today is NOVA Lab, my vision was based on years of reading and collecting of research, both quantitative and qualitative, in the fields of Project and Design-Based Learning. (Here’s a document, recently updated but by no means complete that captures a good deal of that research.) When the class launchedContinue reading “Dialogues on What Matters–NOVA Lab and the Future of Education”