2025

Sylvan Hills Middle School 8th-grader, Sir’Eon Perryman, enjoys the school’s new Verizon Innovative Learning Lab. Photo: Allison Slocum, APS ©

Sylvan Hills Middle School students can now access 3D printing, virtual reality equipment, and innovative STEM practices through their new Verizon Innovative Learning Lab.  The initiative is a part of Verizon’s national effort to expand access to STEM education and technology in underserved communities.

The Verizon Innovative Learning Lab provides students with hands-on experiences in emerging technologies and aims to prepare them for the future workforce.

Eighth-grader Sir’Eon Perryman was among several students who explored the lab’s equipment during the grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 23 and demonstrated to attendees how the 3D software and printer worked.

“I like the lab because it has a lot of electronics, a lot of coding, and the 3D printers,” Perryman said.

LEARN ABOUT THE FIRST APS VERIZON INNOVATION LEARNING LAB

The Verizon Innovative Learning Lab program, developed in collaboration with the nonprofit Heart of America and the J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute at Arizona State University (ASU), offers students immersive, hands-on experiences in robotics, virtual reality, 3D design, and augmented reality.

The curriculum, custom-designed by ASU, centers on design thinking and real-world problem-solving, while ongoing teacher training ensures each lab remains a sustainable, evolving space for innovation.

Sylvan Hills Middle School Verizon Innovative Learning Lab partners. Photo: Allison Slocum, APS ©

Sylvan Hills Middle School principal, Larry Guilford, said the lab is a natural extension of the school’s focus.

“We are a STEM/STEAM school, so this gives us the opportunity to continue utilizing technology with our students,” Guilford said. “The students can do a lot of hands-on work right here in this lab, and they will do things that will improve our achievement scores in math and science.”

Since its inception, Verizon Innovative Learning has reached nearly nine million students nationwide and aims to reach 10 million by 2030. The company has committed more than $1 billion in market value toward supporting digital inclusion in education. In Georgia alone, more than 30,000 students have benefited from Verizon’s educational initiatives, with 30 Innovative Learning Schools and 10 labs now operating statewide.

Enjoy the self-advancing photo slideshow of the Sylvan Hills Middle School Verizon Innovative Learning Lab. Photo: Allison M. Slocum, APS ©

Jerome Cheatham, Verizon’s vice president of the Atlantic South Market, said the lab represents more than a technological investment.

“At Verizon, we talk about empowering people to live, work, and play. A vital part of that is our students,” Cheatham said. “We want students to live out their dreams and have the technology to do that. Investing in students does that for us, and this is just a part of what we do.”

DID YOU KNOW APS LAUNCHED THE FIRST FOUR VERIZON INNOVATION LABS IN THE STATE AND NOW OPERATES NINE?

In addition to Sylvan Hills Middle School, Ralph Bunche Middle School, The B.E.S.T. Academy, John Lewis Invictus Academy, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School have also opened their own Verizon Innovative Learning Lab this school year.

As students begin exploring robotics, coding, and design in the new space, the partnership with Verizon illustrates Atlanta Public Schools’ growing commitment to creating equitable, technology-rich learning environments, focusing on preparing every student for a rapidly changing, innovation-driven world.