The Jazz Lab™ Summer Experience

Building on the success of our Battelle-funded Mobile Jazz Lab™ Pilot Program, we’re thrilled to take the next bold step in reimagining career exploration.

Jazz Lab™ Summer is a STEAM experience offering dynamic, hands-on, culturally relevant programming that empowers youth ages 7–17 to explore the intersections of music, technology, engineering, and art.

Like jazz itself, every moment is an invitation to improvise, adapt, and express.
Each lab is:

  • Hands-on – No lectures. Just making.

  • Youth-centered – Full of choice, voice, and agency.

  • Culturally relevant – Music, tech, and art rooted in right now.

  • and filled with insights into new and exciting Career Paths.

And the best part? Thanks to the City of Columbus Summer Youth Programming Grant, the entire Jazz Lab™ Summer Experience is 100% free!

The Lab Lineup: Innovation Starts Here

  • VirtuREALity

    Compose original music and soundscapes in the Virtuoso™ VR environment — a space where innovation meets imagination!

    Learning Architects:
    COSI Education

    Tech Shout-out:
    Really Interactive

  • JazzFab Lab

    This dynamic workshop empowers youth to prototype, design, and explore real-world applications of creative technology by fusing traditional and modern manufacturing methods.

    Learning Architects:
    Iddrisu Seidu, Makerspace Central
    Raymond Brooks, OSU Innovation

  • The Art of the Sample: Vinyl to Digital

    Step into the world of beat-making and audio storytelling in this hands-on music production lab. Students explore the foundations of sampling and sound design—starting with classic vinyl records and transforming them into modern digital compositions.

    Learning Architect:
    Otis Sharp, Fresh Elements

  • Conga Drumming: Dance Rhythms of the Caribbean

    An immersive, hands-on rhythm experience from the Afro-Caribbean diaspora

    Students dive into the vibrant world of Caribbean conga drumming using the traditional method of Observation, Imitation, and Participation. In this 50-minute workshop, participants learn foundational rhythms from Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, and Puerto Rico, using authentic conga techniques including bass, tone, slap, and some stick work.

    Learning Architect:
    Eric “The Fish” Paton

  • Afro Futuristic Studio: Envisioning Bold Black Futures Through the Power of STEAM

    In this immersive and visionary workshop, youth will step into the role of future-builders—blending art, technology, and cultural imagination to design thriving Afro-futuristic cities using AI tools. Inspired by the creative legacies of Sun Ra, Octavia Butler, and Janelle Monáe, participants will visualize bold futures rooted in Black identity, innovation, and community resilience.

    Learning Architect:
    Nathan Harris, Ph.D., See Brilliance

  • Remix the Code: Music-Making with EarSketch

    Unleash your inner coder and music producer—no prior experience required! In this dynamic, tech-forward lab, students dive into EarSketch, an innovative digital platform that teaches the fundamentals of Python coding through music production.

    Learning Architects:
    Kaleem Musa, GooRoo
    Christopher Hearn, GooRoo

    Tech Shout-out:
    Earsketch

  • The Arts Collabor-a-Torium

    Welcome to the Arts Collaboratorium—a space curated just for you! Within the Collaboratorium, safety and belonging are paramount to your mission. Inspired by the improvisational spirit of jazz, this studio is creative exploration, where visual art and jazz converge in rhythm and imagination.

    Learning Architect:
    Lumaire Conte

Stephanie Matthews, Executive Director A Tribe for Jazz

“The Jazz Lab™ Summer Experience is about igniting passions and helping youth discover new opportunities! Career Awareness starts with curiosity and this is where the spark begins!”

Meet the Team

We’ve Created an EcoSystem of STEAM Partners!

Our partnership model is the future of collective impact—many organizations united by purpose, stretching dollars, amplifying reach, and achieving what none of us could do alone. We are honored to work beside these amazing organizations for the summer experience!

  • Many voices. One vision.
    We unite organizations to drive deeper, broader impact—together.

  • Smart with every step—and every dollar. Intentional partnerships stretch resources and multiply results.

  • Beyond programs—into possibility.
    We’re not just changing outcomes. We’re changing what’s possible for young people.