Urban Leadership Lab™: TechLabs, LEGO Robotics & Startup Academy for Underserved Youth in North Carolina

Project Overview:
The Urban Leadership Lab™ is an award-winning youth development initiative created by Emerging Entrepreneurs, Inc. to unlock the potential of K-12 students who have the least access to high-quality STEM education. Operating after school, on weekends, and during the summer, the program converts community centers, school gyms, and virtual classrooms into dynamic maker-spaces where young people learn to write code, build and program LEGO® Mindstorms robots, prototype mobile apps, and pitch startup ideas that solve real problems in their neighborhoods.

Integrated Learning Labs:
- TechLab introduces foundational computer-science concepts through Code.org® courses, Scratch, and Python. Students advance from block-based coding to text-based programming while working on websites, simple games, and Internet-of-Things projects.
- LEGO Robotics Lab blends engineering fundamentals with creativity. Teams design, build, and code autonomous robots, then test them in problem-solving challenges that foster collaboration and critical thinking.
- Startup Lab teaches entrepreneurial mind-set and lean-startup methodology. Teens study case stories—from Ryan Leslie to Magic Johnson—before crafting their own business canvases and go-to-market pitches.
- eLaunch™ Career Labs give high-school students subsidized access to university-level EdX courses (Harvard, MIT, UC Berkeley, Microsoft). Participants earn verified certificates that can be listed on college and scholarship applications.
- Success Lab pairs students with near-peer mentors and corporate volunteers for networking, résumé prep, and college-readiness workshops.

Proven Impact (2016–2024):
- 2,400+ youth served; 14,000+ lines of code written; 5,000+ STEM and 1,000+ entrepreneurship modules completed.
- 100+ EdX scholarships awarded; first-generation students have used certificates to strengthen college applications.
- $100,000 civic grant secured through the City of Durham’s Participatory Budgeting program, validating community demand.
- 87 percent of graduating seniors report increased confidence in pursuing STEM or business majors.

Why Corporate Support Matters
While the Lab’s volunteer mentors include engineers, product managers, and data scientists from local employers, the waiting list now tops 300 students. Corporate donations through Benevity directly fund robotics kits, laptops, software licenses, and stipends for part-time instructors who mirror the cultural diversity of the learners they serve.

Ways Employees Can Engage
- Lead a Saturday LEGO Robotics scrimmage or code-review session.
- Serve as a judge at monthly “Build-and-Pitch” showcases.
- Offer career-talk webinars or host site visits that demystify STEM workplaces.

Investing in the Urban Leadership Lab™ equips under-resourced youth with the skills, credentials, and social capital they need to thrive—growing the next generation of diverse engineers, technologists, and entrepreneurs our economy demands.